The Secret
by Kadiedid
Summary: Now that they have a real relationship, can they keep it a secret?  Or will dangerous circumstances bring out the truth?
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N Please read the first story in this series "The Plan." If you don't you just might be a little confused.**_

_**Just a reminder that I own nothing. Kensi and Deeks are just so much fun to play with!**_

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><p>Sunday morning rolled around and was laced with clouds and rain. This was rare for LA but was not unwelcome. They took the opportunity to stay in bed most of the day. They were either making love or lying wrapped in each other's arms, talking about seemingly unimportant things about each other. They both knew how important it really was to know these things. It was part of what made the other tick and every little bit of trivia learned brought them closer together. No one on the planet knew them better than they knew each other. It was sobering to realize how close they truly were.<p>

About mid afternoon, they fixed lunch and watched a movie on TV. Afterward, Deeks sensed that something was bothering Kensi. He muted the sound and asked, "What's wrong Princess?"

She looked up at him and sighed, "I'm just sad our weekend is almost over. We have to go back to the real world and I… I wish we didn't."

"Me too," he agreed as he pulled her into a hug. "But don't think for a second that what we've found this weekend will disappear because it won't. We may have to get a little creative to keep it just between us, but I have no intention of ever letting the best thing that's ever happened to me out of my sight."

She hugged him tighter but seemed to have something else on her mind.

"What else is bothering you?" he asked.

"It's just… well… I know we've been together for less than a week but… I don't… I don't want to go home alone and sleep without you," she finally blurted out. "I know it sounds silly."

He laughed lightly and said, "It's not silly at all. I was thinking the same thing and have been trying to think of a way to work this out and not blow our secret."

He kissed the top of her head and offered a solution. "We obviously alter our routines regularly anyway so sometimes we'll stay at your place and I'll leave early enough to stop by here and take care of Monty. Sometimes we'll be here and you'll go home in time to get ready for work. We live close enough to each other that we can even get away with telling the guys we're 'carpooling' from time to time. We'll work it out Princess. Like I said, I don't want to let you out of my sight." He pulled her chin up and looked into her eyes. "We'll start tonight by staying here. I'm too tired to think about going anywhere. You, Fern have absolutely worn me out!"

She laughed and kissed him lightly. "We need to set some basic guidelines and code words for work."

"Code words? You mean like if I say the word 'firetruck' that means 'I want your body right now'"?

"No!" she said smiling. "I mean if one of us thinks one of the guys is getting suspicious, then we need a code word so we can do damage control."

"How about we just send one another a text that says 'fix it'?"

She rolled her eyes and said, "Okay, but we have to make sure we keep up our daily arguments. Nothing can change. We also need to talk about going on occasional dates with other people," she proposed.

"That's easy. I'll just talk about my evening with you and tell them your name is 'Crystal'… and that you're a nurse."

She punched him again and said, "Fine, I'll tell them I'm going out with "Jason" and that he's a male stripper."

He laughed out loud and said, "I could get miles and miles of material out of that one!"

They ultimately decided that 'Jason' was in pharmaceutical sales. 'Crystal' remained a nurse. They spent their evening doing their own backstopping for their new 'covers'. They had a light snack and went to bed early. Evidently he wasn't that worn out after all.

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><p>He showered, she took care of Monty then they drove to her house. He dropped her off to get ready while he went to get coffee and donuts for everyone. He drove to the mission and took the long route. He arrived about fifteen minutes before she did.<p>

"Good Morning!" she said as she entered the bullpen.

"Mornin'," they replied.

"How was your weekend Kens?" Callen asked.

"Great, how was yours?"

"It was fine, so tell us about dinner with Mom. Deeks wouldn't tell us much."

"We had a great time. Mom sends her regards."

"That's it? Deeks offended her didn't he? I told you to be on your best behavior," Callen remarked as he looked at Deeks.

"He did not offend her. As a matter of fact, she thought he was a perfect gentleman," Kensi said defensively.

Deeks was worried. She hadn't been here five minutes and was already defending him which was not something she did very often.

"Deeks? A perfect gentleman? He's a better actor than we thought," Sam said smiling.

"I said she 'thought' he was a perfect gentleman. You know how he can charm the women… until they find out about the 'real' Deeks," she grinned.

"Well Crystal thinks I'm a perfect gentleman if you must know," Deeks said with his crooked grin.

"Where did you find this one?" Sam asked.

"She's a nurse and let's just say we had a fantastic weekend."

"G. Change the subject quick or we'll hear more than we bargained for."

Kensi was trying her best not to smile. She put on her best annoyed look and commented, "Are you sure she's a nurse? Crystal sounds like the name of one of your stripper girlfriends."

"Laugh all you want, this one's a keeper." He sat down and started working on his stack of paperwork.

"I think he's serious G. Deeks has a real girlfriend? Will wonders never cease?" Sam was genuinely surprised.

"Let's see how long it lasts before we get all excited about it," Callen looked at Kensi to see how she was reacting to the news of his new girlfriend. She was working on her computer and didn't seem bothered at all. Maybe his suspicions about them were way off base after all.

They had been immersed in paperwork for about twenty minutes when Eric whistled them upstairs.

Deeks had been pleased with how his 'cover' had worked out this morning but as he followed Kensi upstairs, he found he couldn't keep his eyes off her tight jeans and it took all of his will power to keep his hands off of her. He settled for standing close to her in Ops.

"We've got a problem guys," Eric said ominously.

"Our mysterious kidnapper from last week was being transferred by the FBI when he was assassinated by a sniper at long range."

"So that means the group wasn't working alone. Someone is trying to tie up loose ends," Callen stated.

"We've already informed Commander Samuels. He has put his team in lockdown and each of their families has been taken into protective custody," Hetty informed them.

"How many families are we talking about?" Deeks asked.

"There are seven team members but only six of them have extended families," Nell replied.

"So basically, until we can figure out who's behind this and arrest them, these families have no lives and are in their own prison of sorts," Deeks clarified.

"Yes," Hetty stated simply.

"Kensi, you and Deeks check out where the kidnapper was shot. Sam and I will go back to the warehouse where Brandon was held. Maybe we missed something."

They left Ops and went to their respective crime scenes.

Kensi drove as usual but as soon as they drove off, Deeks reached for her hand and held it tightly. "This is going to be harder than I imagined," he looked over at her and smiled. "I can't keep my hands to myself."

She just grinned and said, "Focus Deeks." She brought his hand to her lips and kissed it softly.

"That is _so_ not helping!"

They arrived at the murder scene, introduced themselves and were shown the adjacent rooftop where the sniper had taken the shot.

There was nothing there. No shell casings, no footprints and nothing where fingerprints could be lifted successfully.

They thanked the FBI agents on the scene and headed back to OPS.

He watched them as they walked the rooftop looking for clues. They were good, he thought. If he didn't already know they were sleeping together he wouldn't have guessed they were lovers. They were also good at their job. They checked things he thought would have been overlooked. They even checked the stairwell for fingerprints. There were too many there to even try to pinpoint the ones from the sniper. Still, if his had been there, red flags would have gone up and questions would have been asked. Good thing he had worn gloves. Now that the last of the crew had been dealt with, he would turn his attention to others means of getting the information he needed.

He had watched from a distance when they had raided the warehouse last week and taken Brandon back. He had been about to meet with the crew when he drove up and saw NCIS agents enter the warehouse. He hid behind a nearby building and watched it unfold. His view was of the back door. It was too late to do anything but watch and wait. He couldn't be connected with these men in any way. He had witnessed these two take care of the boy until the ambulance arrived. Now he knew their names. He also knew where they both lived. Fate must be smiling down on him. It was just by chance that he had seen them in the sidewalk café on the beach Saturday. This was going to be easier than he thought. He just had to make sure he timed it perfectly.


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N Warning! A little T rated section in here. Skip over it if you don't like to read that stuff. The song reference here is 'Losing My Mind' by Daughtry which of course I don't own either. One of you talented people that makes videos needs to put a Densi one together to that song. It is awesome! Thanks for all the wonderful reviews!**_

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><p>Kensi and Deeks pulled into the parking lot at OSP. Before she could open her door, he grabbed her arm, pulled her toward him and kissed her hard. She was taken by surprise at first but began kissing him back. Just as they pulled apart, Callen and Sam pulled into the lot.<p>

"Ok, that was way too close," Deeks said nervously.

"Yes, it was. Keep your hands and your lips to yourself until we get home lover boy!" she grinned as she patted him rather high up on his thigh.

"You're killing me, Kens!"

Back in Ops, they explained that they had found nothing on the roof where the sniper had been.

Callen informed them they had found nothing in the warehouse as well.

"I'm afraid that means we have no leads. Unfortunately, we have to wait until they make a move. Let's hope everyone who could possibly be coerced is safe," Hetty stated. "Go sift through what little we have with a fine tooth comb and see if anything turns up."

The team headed back down to the bull pen. They called some of their snitches to see if there had been any talk on the street concerning the hit and read through the files three times but found nothing.

Hetty told them to call it a day around five-thirty and to be back ready to go in the morning.

"Deeks, you going to see your new girlfriend tonight?" Sam asked.

"Maybe. I haven't talked to her about it today. She's on duty. Why?" he wondered out loud.

"No reason. Just curious about this new flame," Sam replied.

"She's awesome. Maybe I'll get a chance to introduce her to you someday," he smiled.

Callen watched Kensi during the exchange between Sam and Deeks. She seemed surprisingly unaffected by it. He did notice a slight smile when Deeks said the girl was awesome. He wondered if maybe she knew her.

They packed up their things, said their goodbyes and drove to their respective homes.

Deeks drove to his apartment, fed and walked Monty, then packed a few essentials and drove to Kensi's house. He had sent her a text just before he left the mission that said, 'Your place. ASAP'.

He parked in front of her house and practically ran to her front door.

She had been about to change clothes when he knocked and was barefoot when she answered her door. He didn't say a word. He rushed inside, grabbed her around the waist and began kissing her frantically. He kicked the door closed as he walked her to the nearest wall in her living room and backed her up against it.

She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck then jumped up and put her legs around his hips. Their kisses were desperate and messy and unbelievably sexy.

He pulled her t-shirt over her head and she did the same for him. He set her down long enough to take off her jeans but continued to kiss and caress her body.

She tugged at his belt buckle and quickly unbuttoned his jeans. He hurriedly finished the process for her and pushed them off and out of the way along with his shoes and socks. She pushed his boxers down and used her foot to push them to the floor.

He reached around her to unhook her bra then hastily threw it behind him. He placed hot kisses all down her body then used his teeth to pull her panties off. Her whimpers and gasps were sheer torture for him as he kissed and licked his way back up her body. He picked her up again and she settled herself down around him.

Their rhythm was hurried and seemingly desperate and soon they were lost in burst of euphoria and gentle kisses.

When their heartbeats began to slow to normal he carried her to the couch and laid down with her. "Hey there," he said quietly, smiling and kissing her forehead.

"Hey yourself," she mumbled as she snuggled her head up under his chin. "I've been looking forward to this all day and that was… that was… amazing."

He hugged her close and smiled. "I told you I was having a hard time keeping my hands off of you."

They lay quietly for a few minutes then he slowly started singing quietly.

She started laughing and asked, "What on earth are you singing?" She usually gave him a hard time about his singing in the car but secretly she loved it. He had a good voice but she had vowed never to tell him. She figured he was cocky enough as it was.

"I'm singing your song."

"My song?"

"Well really I guess it's my song but it's about you."

"Oh, really? Then let's hear it," she laughed. She could feel the deep tones rumble in his throat and her heart skipped a beat.

"Yeah my head keeps spinnin' you got me trippin',  
>There's something about the way you move<br>Yeah, every little single thing you do is like  
>One part angel and one part danger,<br>But, oh, the kind of crazy I like  
>You got me losing my mind,<br>I'm losing my mind!"

He finished and said, "You are absolutely an angel and most definitely dangerous. So what do you think?"

"I think you are a hopeless romantic and I love it," she laughed then kissed him passionately. "And I'm hopelessly in love with you."

He kissed her again and got up from the couch. Then he picked her up and carried her to her bedroom. "And I'm completely and totally in love with you Miss Blye."

They made love again but this time it was slow, deliberate and extremely passionate. Afterward, Deeks couldn't help but wonder about his new life. He's not sure what he did to deserve the love of this beautiful woman but he was grateful for it. And he'd do anything to make sure he kept it.

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><p>It was late when he parked down the street to watch the apartment. He didn't see the detective's car in the lot but he hoped they would turn up sooner or later. His plan could only work if she spent the night at his place. Her little house was too exposed and there were too many older nosey neighbors. His plan was foolproof but it had to happen here at his apartment.<p>

He waited until one o'clock and decided they weren't coming back tonight. He would try again tomorrow and the next day and the next. Eventually they had to come back here and he would get what he needed. He was patient. He was always successful. Well almost always. His current assignment was the exception. His one mistake had been in underestimating NCIS. That wouldn't happen again. He would make sure they would be out of the picture. He was looking forward to this part of his little assignment.

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><p><em><strong>Reviews are encouragment to keep going. Please review!<strong>_


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Deeks reluctantly got up and left early to take care of Monty then head to OSP. He wanted nothing more than to stay in bed with Kensi but they had a job to do.

With no apparent leads in the case, the team decided to interview all of the people connected to Colonel Samuels' project. They also planned to interview their families to see if any of them may have noticed or been approached by anyone unusual recently.

Kensi and Deeks interviewed the families while Sam and Callen interviewed the team members.

They spent the better part of the day with the interviews and when they were finally finished, they had nothing to show for it. None of the team or their families had been approached by anyone except for The Taylor's, whose daughter had been murdered and the Samuels', whose son had been kidnapped.

Kensi and Deeks finished up first and returned to the mission. They started filling out the paperwork concerning the interviews they had just concluded. After about an hour, Deeks was getting hand cramps and decided he needed a break.

"Hey Kens, how about a break? I need coffee and I'm sure you need a sugar fix."

"Yes, I do," she said as she got up and walked to the little break area. He fixed coffee for her just the way she liked it while she grabbed a couple of candy bars from her hiding place in her desk. They walked over to the couch outside the bullpen area and sat down. They sat a little closer together than normal but no one was there at the moment so they weren't concerned.

"It really bothers me that the families are basically locked up and we can't seem to find anything to help them," Deeks sighed.

"I know. It's really frustrating but at least they're safe," she said as she reached up behind his head and started running her fingers through his hair.

He closed his eyes briefly then opened them again quickly and looked around to make sure no one was watching. "Now who can't keep her hands to herself?" he whispered grinning.

She looked into his beautiful blue eyes and said quietly, "It's okay. No one's watching."

He leaned in closer and asked, "How about my place tonight? Monty really misses you."

She smiled and whispered, "Monty might be scandalized if he knew what I had planned for you."

"Ooh, that sounds really promising." He leaned in to kiss her just as Sam and Callen rounded the corner into the bullpen. He jumped back and pretended to be looking for something.

She almost spilled the rest of her coffee in the process of backing away. She gathered the candy wrappers then got up and walked to her trashcan. "Hey guys how did it go?" she asked quickly.

Callen looked at Deeks who was still sitting on the couch drinking his coffee and looking under the cushions. "Not good. We got nothing." He couldn't help but think something had just happened here. If he didn't know any better, he would think they had been making out. He shook it off. Not possible. Hetty would kill them and besides, Deeks had a new girlfriend right? "You guys get anything?"

"Unfortunately, no," Deeks said as he joined them in the bullpen. "The Taylor's are still in shock and scared for their son who's only eight. The Samuel's have had a security detail since Brandon was found so nothing new there either. None of the others recall seeing any strangers around lately."

"Same with ours," Sam replied. "Where do we go from here? We can't keep them locked up forever."

"We wait for a few more days and hope these guys make some sort of contact. If we don't hear anything soon, then I suppose we have to send them all home and hope these guys were just tying up loose ends and are done with it all. I don't like it but I'm not sure what else we can do," Callen sighed.

They worked on paperwork for a couple more hours, and then Hetty told them all to go home.

Kensi said, "Thank God!" as she started putting away her things.

"In a hurry to get somewhere?" Sam asked.

"As a matter of fact, I am. I have a date," she smiled.

"A date? One of Kensi's famous first dates?" Callen teased.

"Yes. I'm meeting Jason for dinner."

"Jason? Where did you meet this guy?" Sam asked grinning.

"I met him at a club last week. He's a pharmaceutical salesman."

Deeks couldn't help himself and said, "You do realize that's just another term for drug dealer, right?"

She rolled her eyes and ignored him. "It's just dinner, guys."

"Ok, but if he is on his cellphone, constantly making appointments, just remember you heard it here first!" Deeks flashed his crooked grin.

They said goodnight and she raced to her apartment to get ready. He sent her a text that said 'Chinese?' and she replied; 'Sounds good."

As she was gathering things to take with her, she decided to take some extra clothes to leave there in case she needed them at some point. She stopped suddenly and realized what she was doing. They weren't living together officially, but that's what they were doing wasn't it? She smiled and thought about how far they had come in the last week.

But then the old Kensi began to worry. Were they moving too fast? Maybe they needed to talk about slowing down. The more she thought about it, the more she realized she was overthinking things again. Besides, she couldn't stand the thought of not being with him. It just felt so right.

She changed into her 'surprise' and put on her knee length jacket. She finished packing her small bag, gathered her gun and other items and walked to her car.

As she parked next to Deeks' car in one of the two spaces assigned to him at the side of his building, she noticed the delivery man from their favorite Chinese place leaving. Perfect timing.

She walked up the two flights of stairs to his third floor apartment with her things and knocked on his door. She was extremely nervous. She knew he would like it but she couldn't help but feel a little bit like a hooker.

He answered the door and she couldn't help but smile stupidly. He was dressed in a blue robe and looked so hot she couldn't help but shiver visibly.

Deeks pulled her inside then took her bag and set it in the corner. As he closed the door behind her, she realized the lights were off. The whole room was lit with dozens of candles. She put down her things and kicked off her sandals. They stood staring at each other, not touching. She slowly reached up and unbuttoned her coat. She pulled it off her shoulders and tossed it in the floor.

He licked his lips as his eyes swept hungrily over her body. She was standing there in the most unbelievably sexy lingerie he had ever seen. He walked slowly to her and put his hands on her hips. He pulled her to him tightly and kissed her deeply. "You're beautiful," he whispered hoarsely.

She reached up and untied the belt on his robe then pushed it off. He was completely naked underneath and she shuddered with anticipation as she wrapped her arms around him and said, "So are you Marty."

He quickly rid her of the sexy lingerie and they made love right there in the floor of his living room.

They lay there in each other's arms as their heart rates returned to normal. He continued to place kisses on her forehead and hold her tight. She was beautiful, smart, strong, deadly, sexy and amazing as hell. And his heart was totally hers. He couldn't get enough. What had happened to the guy who used to hang out in strip clubs and bars and have one night stands with women he didn't really care about? He had thought he was happy with that life. How incredibly wrong he had been. This was happiness on steroids!

"Wow," was all she could think to say. "I'd really like to try this again in the bedroom but can we eat dinner first?"

"Whatever you want Princess. I'm your sex slave and your wish is my command!"

She laughed as they got up and redressed. She put his bathrobe around his shoulders and he put it back on.

"Wait here," he said and hurried to his bedroom. He came back with one of his button up shirts and put it on her. "I knew you would look good in this," he said as he slowly buttoned it for her.

They kissed again and he pulled away when they needed more air. "We better eat dinner now or we might be eating it for breakfast," he laughed. He took her hand and led her into the kitchen to reheat the Chinese food. 

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><p>He pulled into the parking lot, saw her car parked next to the Detective's and smiled. He drove to his usual spot to watch the apartment. The lights were off but he was sure they were there. He thought he could see a candle flickering through the blinds. How nice. A romantic evening for the partners. He wondered if their bosses knew about them. It didn't really matter. It would be over soon enough. He hoped they enjoyed their last night together. Tomorrow was going to change everything. He drove off after he saw a light turn on briefly then flick off again. He would be back in a few hours to set things in motion.<p>

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><p><em><strong>AN Lots of stuff this week and I hope to be able to update daily but I can't promise.**_

_**Thanks for all the nice reviews! Keep 'em coming!**_


	4. Chapter 4

Deeks had locked Monty in the spare bedroom before Kensi had arrived last night to give them some privacy. Unfortunately, they had been so 'busy' they had forgotten to let him out and now he was scratching the door and whining loudly.

Kensi, snuggled closer to Deeks and said, "He's your dog."

He stretched sleepily and said, "But he didn't get to see you last night. You should go let him out and make his day."

"Nice try buddy. Move it! We need to get ready for work anyway."

"Nag, nag, nag," he teased as he kissed her on her head then got up to dress and take care of Monty.

She had decided to shower at his place, change into the extra clothes she had brought then head to work from here. She would leave a few minutes before him just to keep up appearances. He rarely got there before she did anyway.

After she showered and dressed, she fixed coffee and toast while he showered. Then she turned her attention to Monty. She had seriously neglected him and needed to make up for it.

Deeks walked in and saw them having another 'conversation' and just smiled at them both. "Monty, are you trying to steal my girl?" He patted him on the head then kissed Kensi quickly and made a beeline for the coffee.

They finished their coffee and toast then made plans to stay at his place again that evening. She picked up her purse, gun and badge and started to leave.

He reached for her hand and pulled her into a tight embrace. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too," she said as she held him tightly.

"There have been times in my life when I wish I would have done things differently. Most of them include wishing I had told someone how I felt about them before it was too late. So, I'm going to tell you every single day so you won't forget!" he said as his kissed her gently.

She was holding back tears as she said, "I could never forget Marty. How could I? If this is what love is supposed to feel like then bring it on! I've never felt like this before and I mean that. Not even with Jack."

She kissed him again then pulled back and patted him on his cheek. "I'll see you at work," she said as she opened the door.

He followed her out and watched her walk down the stairs. When she was out of his sight he went back inside to wait ten minutes before he left. He couldn't help but think he was a lucky man.

Kensi wasn't paying attention. She was thinking about him and wondering if they could have it all. She pictured a little house near the beach and a couple of kids with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was smiling as she unlocked her car with her remote and walked between her car and the van parked next to it. As she opened her door to get in, she heard a scraping noise, then felt a blinding pain in the back of her head. She was vaguely aware of being dragged into a dark place before she blacked out.

Deeks was whistling as he walked to his car a few minutes later. When he rounded the corner to the lot, he stopped suddenly. _'Why was Kensi still here?'_

"Kensi?" he called out as he noticed the door was open. His heart started beating faster and he called out again, "Kensi!" He pulled out his weapon and crept closer, hiding behind a car two spaces down. Then he saw her purse lying on the ground. Panic seized him and he ran to the car screaming her name, looking around frantically. He walked around to the other side of the SRX and that's when he noticed something on the windshield of his own car. He quickly grabbed the note that was stuck beneath the windshield wiper.

As he read the note, hot tears began to stream down his face. _'No, please God, no!' _He re-read the note and slid down his car to the ground. This couldn't be happening! He stared at the carefully typed note.

_ Detective Marty Deeks,_

_ We have her. If you want her back you will do exactly as you are told. You are not to contact NCIS, LAPD or any other agency. If you do, she is dead. We're watching you._

_ Be at the Santa Monica Pier by 10:00 a.m. Go to the bench across from the souvenir store. Instructions are taped underneath._

He had to pull himself together. He couldn't help her by sitting here doing nothing. He got up and checked her purse. He noticed her badge and gun were missing but her keys and cell phone were lying nearby. The phone was crushed on the concrete. It looked like it had been run over.

At first he thought he would do exactly what the note said but then he calmed down and realized the guys would investigate anyway as soon as they realized they were missing. He needed to control how they did that. He put her purse and other items in the car, pocketed her keys then locked it and closed the door.

He jumped in his car and pulled a notepad out of his glove compartment and began writing instructions. He tore off the bottom half of the note from the kidnappers and put it in his jacket pocket. He screeched the tires as he pulled out of the parking lot and drove to Kensi's house. It was nine o'clock and he had to get to Santa Monica by ten.

Kensi began to wake and couldn't remember where she was. Her head was pounding and she couldn't seem to shake the drowsiness. Slowly the haze lifted and she remembered walking to her car. Someone had hit her from behind and put her in here. She was aware of being in a moving truck or van but it was dark and she couldn't make out any details. She tried to get up but realized her hands and feet were tied and her mouth was taped shut. She willed herself not to panic. She knew Deeks would figure out she had been taken soon if he hadn't already. He would tell the team and they would find her. They were really good at finding people.

Deeks let himself into her house and ran to the pantry. He sent the _'Agent in Distress'_ signal from his phone and placed it along with the top half of the note from the kidnappers and the one he had written in a box of cereal. If someone was watching and decided to trash her apartment, they wouldn't have time to find it before the team got there. He sent up a prayer that this would work and that the kidnappers wouldn't realize he had contacted NCIS. He knew Sam and Callen would understand and wait for him to call them. '_Please God, keep her safe!' _He closed the door but left it unlocked and raced back to his car.

They all received the distress signal at about the same time. Before Eric could call them up, they were already running up the stairs. Hetty was close behind them.

"What have you got Eric?" Callen asked frowning.

This is really confusing. The signal was sent from Deeks' phone but it's coming from Kensi's house. I tried to track Kensi's phone but it's off and I can't seem to turn it back on. The battery must have been removed."

"What about the GPS on their cars?" Sam asked.

"That's even more confusing. Kensi's car is parked at Deeks' apartment building but I am tracking Deeks' car. I can't really tell where he's heading at the moment. Traffic is really bad this morning.

"Go to Kensi's house and check it out first, then we will worry about where Mr. Deeks is headed," Hetty ordered.

Deeks was hoping none of his co-workers from LAPD would try to pull him over for speeding. He doubted they would even be able to get to him because the traffic was so bad today. He was finally close to the pier and it was 9:45. He pulled into a large gas station and drove up to the pump. He got out and started the pump then walked inside to pay for it. He walked through the store, picked up a soda and nonchalantly grabbed a cheap cell phone. He paid for his purchases then hid the phone in his jacket. If they were watching, he didn't want them to know he had just bought a phone. He hoped they would think he already had it. He got in the car and hid the phone under his seat. He would get it out later. Right now, he had to get to that bench at the pier.

Sam and Callen parked down the street and quietly walked to Kensi's house. They didn't see anyone suspicious but when they tried the door knob and found it unlocked, they both took out their weapons. Sam entered first and they quickly realized no one was here. The house was cleaner than the last time either of them had seen it which was surprising. Her place was usually one big mess.

"Eric, we don't see the phone, can you tell where it's coming from?" Callen asked through his earwig."

"It may be coming from the kitchen area. You're really close to it," he answered.

Callen walked into the kitchen but didn't see anything. He and Sam started opening cabinets and drawers.

Sam opened the pantry and called Callen over. "If it's in here, we're never gonna find it."

"Where would you hide something you didn't want found right away?" Callen asked.

"In a safe, under the floor, in my bedroom," Sam replied.

"Not if you were in a hurry," he said frowning. "I would put it in a bag of chips or a box of cereal."

Sam picked up a bag of chips and looked inside. "Nothing here." Then he pulled out a box of crackers and handed it to Callen while he checked the cereal box. Callen came up empty but Sam said, "Bingo."

He poured the contents out on the counter and dug out the phone and two pieces of paper.

Sam handed Callen the one that looked torn on one side while he took the smaller note.

"Oh my God," Callen said while running his hand over his head.

"What?" Sam asked taking the note from him. As he read the note, he stepped back and closed his eyes.

"What does that one say?" Callen asked as Sam handed it to him.

_ Please, please make sure they don't know you are investigating. Pretend I called and said she was sick today.  
>She was taken outside my apartment between 8:30 and 8:40 this morning.<br>Don't know who or why. Possibly related to Samuels' case.  
>I will contact you later when I know more. Am picking up instructions now.<br>Don't contact anyone else! _

_ -D_

Callen sighed and said, "Dammit! What was she doing at his apartment this morning?"

"Maybe she was picking him up to carpool. We do that sometimes G."

"I know," he said then activated his earwig. "Eric, check security cameras from Deeks' apartment starting about 7:00 this morning. Use extreme caution. We don't want anyone to know we're looking for Kensi. We're on our way to Deeks' place now."

"I've got a bad feeling about this one G."

"Me too Sam."


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N Just a reminder that I own nothing! Dang it!**_

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><p>Kensi had no idea how long she had been in the back of the van. She estimated she had been awake for about half an hour but it seemed they weren't going anywhere fast. The van would move for a short amount of time and then stop suddenly. She hoped it was caused by traffic. The longer she was in the city, the better her chances of being found. Who was doing this and what did they want? She was angry at herself for being so stupid. Normally she would have checked her surroundings but she had been careless. A van parked on her driver's side should have sent up red flags immediately but she had been so lost in her daydreams, she hadn't noticed. Deeks. He must be worried sick. She knew how she would feel if the situation was reversed. <em>'Please God take care of him. Don't let him do something stupid for my sake!'<em>

_,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,_

Deeks arrived at the pier and walked quickly to the bench in question. It was the only bench directly across from the souvenir shop but it was occupied at the moment by an elderly couple. He went into the store and pretended to shop as he looked out the windows to watch the couple and anyone who might be acting suspicious. He had to wait about ten minutes for the couple to leave. As soon as he saw the man get up, he quickly exited the shop, walked toward the railing near the bench and looked out toward the ocean. When the couple moved off he immediately sat down in the middle of the bench and stretched out his arms across the back hoping it would deter anyone who might try to share the seat with him. He casually reached with his right hand and felt underneath the bench but felt nothing but petrified blobs of gum. At least that's what he hoped they were. He switched and used his left hand to check the other side and felt the edge of an envelope. He pulled it loose from under the bench and stuffed it in his jacket pocket. He got up and walked quickly back to his car, sweeping the crowds looking for watchers. He wasn't about to read the letter with someone possibly watching his reaction.

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Sam and Callen drove into the lot at Deeks' complex and parked in a space across from Kensi's car. "If she was coming by to pick him up for work, she wouldn't have parked in the lot. She would have parked out front and called, texted or honked for him to come out, right?" Callen asked confused.

Sam looked confused also. "Yeah, so why is her car parked here in the lot? Eric, have you analyzed the traffic cam footage yet?" Sam asked activating his earwig.

"Still working on it but we have seven vehicles pulling out of the complex between 8:30 and 8:45. We're in the process of checking all of them out."

"What time did Kensi arrive?" Callen asked.

Nell answered tentatively, "We checked starting at 7:00 this morning and her car isn't on the video."

"Which means she was already here." Callen confirmed turning off his earwig. He rubbed his head again and looked at Sam.

"Maybe her date turned out badly and she came here to talk to him about it. Maybe they fell asleep watching a movie. Maybe they're sleeping together. The point is it doesn't really matter G. We need to find her and soon."

"You're right Sam. How should we handle this? If someone is watching Deeks, I doubt they'll be watching her car but we can't really take that chance."

"Let's just head to the stairs but walk on either side of her car and see what turns up."

They got out of the car and pretended to be laughing at a joke as they walked past her SRX. Callen was on the driver's side and looked around as nonchalantly as possible. Sam stopped even with the passenger door and pretended to bend down and tie his shoe as he looked in the window. They climbed the stairs to Deeks' apartment and continued their casual banter for the sake of possible watchers. Sam knocked on the door and pretended to wait for someone to answer.

"There was a cell phone smashed next to her car but I couldn't tell if it was hers," Callen whispered.

Sam knocked again as Callen looked around and pulled the lock pick out of his back pocket. Sam stepped behind him to block anyone's view as his picked the lock.

"Her purse was lying in the front seat but I didn't see anything else out of place," Sam whispered in reply.

They entered his apartment cautiously and closed the door behind them. Monty heard the door open and raced into the room. He stopped suddenly when the two agents grabbed their weapons and pointed them at him.

"Dammit Monty!" Sam groaned as they holstered their guns.

As they looked around the room, it became very apparent that Deeks had entertained a lady friend here the night before. There were half burned candles all over the place and lacy lingerie was strewn on the floor.

Callen looked over in the corner and pointed, "That's Kensi's jacket."

"So now we know, G. Doesn't change anything."

"No, it doesn't. Not yet anyway. Let's check out the rest of the place."

They walked through the apartment but found nothing to help them find Kensi. They did find more evidence that she or someone else had been there recently. There were two plates in the sink and two coffee mugs on the counter. There was also an extra toothbrush and makeup in the bathroom.

"We should probably head back to the mission and wait for Deeks to call us," Callen suggested. "There's nothing else here."

They left the apartment, careful to lock it back and walked to their car the way they came in. They again walked past Kensi's car but found nothing else unusual.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Deeks returned to his car and drove about two miles down the road, watching for tails. He didn't notice any and pulled into the parking lot of an old boarded up church. He held his breath as he opened the envelope.

_Detective Deeks,_

_At noon tomorrow you are to bring Brandon Samuels back to the pier and sit on the same bench. You will find further instructions underneath. Bring him to the pier as if you are taking him on an outing. He trusts you. No one is to know he's been taken. If we see any type of law enforcement or if you are late, she dies._

Deeks beat his fists against the dashboard and choked back sobs. He couldn't and wouldn't hand Brandon over to these monsters. Kensi wouldn't want him to do that either. This was an impossible request and knowing this was the same people who had ordered the brutal murder of Emily Taylor was paralyzing. As he thought through the different possible scenarios in his head he came to the realization that they would never give Kensi back no matter what he did. They were soulless.

He wiped his face with his jacket sleeves and checked his watch. It was exactly 10:30. He pulled out the burn phone and powered it up. Their only option was to find Kensi and they had only a little over twenty four hours to do it. He wasn't going to waste another minute.

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Kensi could hear the telltale sound of gravel crunching under the tires and feel the van beginning to slow down. They had been cruising along without stops for the past twenty minutes or so. She was pretty sure she had a concussion and kept trying to do things to keep herself awake. The thing that was working the best was thinking of Deeks and the time they had spent together over the last week. She couldn't help but smile under the tape. She wondered what he was doing at this very moment. She prayed he was close to finding her. The vehicle stopped and she could hear footsteps outside. Suddenly, the backdoor was flung open and she was blinded by the sunlight. She closed her eyes tightly. Someone grabbed her by her ankles and drug her roughly across the floor of the van toward the door. She managed to open her eyes but before she could adjust to the light to see her captor, she felt a sharp sting in her thigh. She fought to stay awake but within seconds of the sting she was tumbling into darkness again.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

By 10:30, Callen and Sam were back up in Ops with Hetty, Eric and Nell. Eric had managed to weed out five of the seven vehicles but was having trouble with the last two. One was silver SUV with plates that didn't match anyone living at the complex. The other was a blue van with government issued plates. They couldn't check that one without alerting another agency.

Eric had tracked Deeks' car to the Santa Monica pier but he was on the move again.

One of the monitors started beeping and Eric raced to it. "We have a call coming in on our secure line but I don't recognize the number."

"It's Deeks. Answer it and put it on speaker," Callen said hurriedly.

"Hello?"

"Eric. It's Deeks. Are Sam and Callen there?"

"Yes, we're here," Callen answered. "What have you found?"

"I was instructed to go to the Santa Monica pier and pick up an envelope with instructions from under a bench. The note said I had until noon tomorrow to bring Brandon Samuels back to the pier to the same bench and pick up more instructions or they would kill Kensi."

There was silence in the room. Sam noticed the strain in Deeks voice and tried to assure him. "We'll find her Deeks, don't worry."

"Have you found the vehicle they used to take her?"

"Still working on it but we've narrowed it down to two possibilities," Eric replied trying to sound calm for Deeks' sake.

"I've been thinking about this and we must be missing something here. These are the people who kidnapped Brandon. How do they know who I am and where I live? How did they know Kensi was going to be there?" Deeks asked sounding desperate. "She walked out of my apartment at exactly 8:30. It took a couple of minutes to get to her car but she was grabbed and completely out of sight by the time I came down at exactly 8:40. This was meticulously planned and carried out. I just can't figure out how they found us."

"Deeks, read the note to us," Callen said hopefully.

He read the whole thing and Sam said, "Wait, it says 'He trusts you', how would they know that?"

"Unless they are close to the family or were at the hospital that day, I don't know," Deeks answered.

"Not likely. What if they were at the warehouses the day we found Brandon and we didn't see them?" Sam offered hopefully.

Eric immediately started typing on his computer. "I'll bring up other cameras during that time." After a couple of minutes, Eric said "Got it."

They watched grainy video of a van pulling into the warehouse complex and driving to a building out of direct sight from where they were getting ready to enter the building. They saw one man get out of the vehicle and walk closer but he was staying well hidden from view. The man never saw Callen or Sam. He only saw Kensi and Deeks with Brandon waiting for the ambulance. When the ambulance arrived he walked back to the van and left.

"What is it guys?" Deeks asked impatiently.

They relayed the information Eric had just uncovered while Nell worked on tracking down the plates on the van.

"Uh oh," Nell said quietly from her terminal.

"What?" Deeks asked nervously.

"I was trying to enhance the picture enough to see the plate number clearly but I think we already have it," Nell said with slight tremble in her voice.

The screen was filled with a very grainy picture of a license plate that was clearly government issued.

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><p><em><strong>AN Again, reviews are encouragement to keep going!**_


	6. Chapter 6

When Kensi woke up she was acutely aware of the pain in her head. She tried to ignore it and push away the urge to throw-up. With her mouth taped, she would choke and die. It was important to calm down so she could figure out where she was and look for an opportunity to escape.

She was lying on a filthy mattress in a room with boarded up windows. Sunlight filtered through the cracks and cast a dim glow around the room. Her ankles were still bound with duct tape and her hands were tied together and securely fastened to the metal headboard above her. Her shoes and socks had been removed. She looked around the room but saw no sign of them. There was no light source that she could see and other than birds singing outside there were no other sounds. No cars on a roadway, no sounds of others in the house. She tried to pull her hands loose from the headboard but it was made of iron and the rope was too strong. She couldn't even move to a better position because of the angle her hands had been secured. The paint was peeling off the walls and debris and dust coated everything. This place probably hadn't been lived in for years. There was only one door into the room and no closet or bathroom. The bed was the only furniture except for a single chair facing her.

Fear began to creep into her mind. What if they had dumped her here and weren't coming back? What if the team couldn't find her? What if she died here alone? No, she couldn't think like that. She had to stay focused and try to find a way out of here. Her head was pounding and she was seriously concentrating on not being sick. She hated feeling helpless but she was even more frightened of feeling hopeless. She had to stay positive and focused if she was going to survive this.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

"Government plates? What the hell?" Deeks almost shouted into the phone.

"Mr. Beale, track that government van. I'm going to make a phone call," Hetty said as she left the room.

Eric was already checking traffic cams and working on the route the van had taken as it left the apartment complex. "This is going to take a while. I'll let you all know when I find something.

Callen sighed and looked at Sam incredulously, "What is going on here? Could it be stolen?"

Nell checked her tablet and replied; "No government vehicles have been reported stolen in the last week other than a Humvee that was taken on a joyride from Pendleton but was recovered.

"So chances are this van is still being used by some Federal agency. Come on guys, the list isn't that long," Deeks commented.

"You're right Deeks. Nell can you check to see if Kensi's or Deeks' personal information has been accessed lately, and if it has, can you tell by whom?" Callen asked hopefully.

"Checking their real names and current aliases, I don't see any activity on any of them in the last two weeks," Nell answered.

"That means that whoever this is has had personal contact with one or both of you Deeks," Sam concluded.

"We haven't been in contact with anyone except the FBI guys who were at the sniper crime scene. Wait a minute! One of them sort of gave me the creeps when we were there. He kept watching us. At first I thought he was just ogling Kensi but I caught him watching me too. His name was Hollis, Hollis Stringer I think."

"Nell?" Callen called.

"On it," she replied.

Before she could find any information on the man, Deeks yelled; "Damn! This phone is dying. I've got to get it charged and change locations. I'll call you back as soon as I can,"

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Kensi had managed to get her nausea under control and was trying hard to stay awake when she heard noises outside the door. She heard the door creek as it was opened slowly. She looked up and her breath caught in her throat. She recognized this guy! He was FBI and had been at the crime scene a few days ago. She was trying to remember his name as he walked over and sat in the chair.

"Hello Miss Blye. Welcome to your new home. Well, for a few days anyway." He reached over and roughly pulled the tape off her mouth. She tried not to react but it was so painful that she winced loudly.

"What do you want?" Kensi asked as she glared at him.

"From you? Not much really but we'll talk about that later. What I want from your partner is another matter. Or should I say your lover?"

Kensi tried to hide her surprise and shrugged, "What do you want from him?"

"Detective Deeks is going to give me what I want because if he doesn't, you will rot here in your lovely new home."

"Good luck with that," she said icily.

She was shocked when leapt up toward her and slapped her hard. When he saw the expression on her face, he smiled eerily.

"_That_ is what I want from you Miss Blye. I'm going to enjoy this very much."

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Deeks drove quickly to another large convenience store and bought a charger for the phone. The packaging for the phone said it was fully charged but it wasn't. He didn't want to take the chance of losing contact with the team. He had been watching the vehicles that passed the old church lot and hadn't noticed any that seemed to pass by more than once. He was pretty sure he wasn't being followed. What if it was a bluff? A bluff meant to keep him in line? No, he couldn't take the chance with Kensi's life. Now that they were sure of some sort of government involvement, it was possible they could be tracking him by other means. _Hell, Eric knew exactly where he was. _

He got back in his car and plugged in the phone. He sat there for a few minutes and his thoughts immediately went to Kensi. _Where she and what was she going through?_ His heart felt like it was going to shut down completely. He had to stop thinking about what might be happening and concentrate on finding her. He quickly pulled back into traffic on the busy street and drove to a parking garage about five miles away. It was much easier to keep an eye out for possible tails in there, especially if you parked on the top. No one parked on the top if they could avoid it.

Once he was parked where he could see the entrance to the roof top parking area, he called Eric.

"Eric, what have you found and how do I disable the GPS on my car?"

"In answer to question number one, I tracked the van north of the city then lost it when the traffic cameras thinned out."

"As to question number two, why do you want to disable it?" Eric asked confused.

"Man, if you can track me with it so can they. Can you track my burn phone? They don't know I have it."

"Let me check. Umm… no, all I can do is connect it to cell tower use. There's no chip in it."

"That has to be good enough. How do I disconnect this thing?" Deeks asked again.

Eric told him how to disable it and Deeks took care of it quickly.

"Any word on who the van belongs to?"

"Not yet," Eric said with a hint of frustration in his voice. "Hetty has been on the phone yelling at someone for about twenty minutes. Hopefully we'll know something soon."

"Where was the last known location of the van?"

"It was heading north on the Glendale Freeway near Montecito Park but I couldn't find it going either direction on 210. My guess is it headed into the Angeles National Forest somewhere," Eric answered trying to keep the concern out of his voice. "I've got Kaleidoscope working on it. If it passes one of those cameras, we'll find it"

"And what if it doesn't?" Deeks said quietly.

Eric didn't answer. He looked over at Nell and saw the tear streaks on her face and had to look away.

Deeks shook himself and started the car. "I'm heading that direction. Call me if you hear _anything_."

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Sam and Callen were listening intently to Hetty yelling into the phone. It would be comical any other time but right now, they were just hoping for a solid lead. Hetty's voice became quiet and made it impossible to hear what was being said.

Callen had been thinking about the note Deeks had read. "I think we need to stake out that bench starting right now. It's better than sitting here and doing nothing. Maybe we can catch whoever leaves the instructions."

"Sounds good but how are we going to do that without drawing attention to ourselves?" Sam asked.

"Deeks makes a really good bum but they're watching him. You up for bum duty?" he asked Sam.

"Sorry G. Somehow I don't think this physique screams homeless person."

"I know. I haven't had to do this since Deeks has been here. Could be interesting," he said as he headed to wardrobe.

Callen was dressed for his part and talking strategy for the op with Sam when Hetty finally hung up the phone. She waved her hand and pointed upstairs, "We have some new information." They followed her quickly up the stairs.

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Kensi was drifting in and out of consciousness. This guy was seriously insane. His idea of fun was beating her. He had started by slapping her around and when she quit reacting to the slaps, he proceeded to hitting her hard in her ribs. She couldn't hide the pain when he hit the one that had been cracked a few weeks earlier. He had stopped when she passed out. She was pretending to stay asleep, hoping he wouldn't start again. She risked opening her eyes slightly and found herself alone in the room. She was in serious pain. She probably had a couple of broken ribs. The pictures of Emily Taylor came to mind and she realized he had been the one who had killed her. She closed her eyes and tried to gather her strength. She wasn't a young girl and she could take this. At least she could take it for a while. She had to come up with ways to mess with his head to keep him away from her but she couldn't think clearly. She quickly closed her eyes as she heard the door hinges creak open again.

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><p><em><strong>AN Thanks again for the nice reviews. More of them would be great!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N Okay, this one is a bit on the violent side so be warned!**_

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><p>As they entered Ops, Hetty asked Eric and Nell if they had any new information.<p>

Nell answered first. "I've been trying to access information concerning Hollis Stringer but every time I do a search I get blocked by bureaucratic red tape. Even when I try our back door tricks."

"Try it now, Miss Jones. I think you'll find it much easier to access," Hetty nodded to her.

Eric relayed the information concerning the last known whereabouts of the van and that Deeks was heading in that direction. Hetty was not happy that he had disabled his GPS signal but she understood why.

"I have been on the phone with the Director of the FBI with no luck. I called Director Vance who then also called the Director of the FBI and we finally, after an hour of negotiations, have a tiny bit of cooperation. Mind you, they still won't tell us much but at least they are letting us look into it," Hetty sighed.

"I asked multiple times about the van and gave them the license plate number. Finally, I was told that it was in their garage for repairs and has been there for about a month. However, no one would check to see if it was actually in the garage."

Nell interjected, "Got it! Hollis Stringer has been an agent for about twelve years but his record is anything but stellar. He's had multiple accusations of using excessive force when dealing with suspects. He's also on his second week of a two week _'vacation'_. By that I mean he's on forced leave following another complaint."

"If he's on leave, then why was he at the crime scene last week?" Sam questioned.

"Because he wasn't there in an official capacity… he was there to see if forensics found anything that could implicate him. My gut tells me _he_ is the sniper. He hired the crew to kidnap Emily, then Brandon and was making sure no one was left to talk. He's probably the one who murdered Emily too. This is one sick bastard," Callen said with renewed concern on his face.

"And he's got Kensi," Sam said softly.

The silence in the room was deafening. Callen finally snapped out of it and told Eric, "Call Deeks and tell him what we know." He paused slightly and said, "But don't tell him about our suspicions concerning Stringer killing Emily." Eric shook his head, understanding.

"Nell, see if you can find out anything else about this guy. Sam and I are headed to the pier to stake out that bench."

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Stringer entered the room and walked over to the bed. Kensi was perfectly still, hoping he would think she was still unconscious and leave. Her hopes were dashed when she felt a fist hit her upper thigh. She gasped and her eyes were open instantly. This was what he wanted and she couldn't allow herself to give it to him. He wanted her to scream and try to fight back. He wanted to see fear in her eyes. She fought hard to control her reactions to each punch to her stomach, legs and arms. After a few minutes and several excruciating blows, he sat back down on the chair.

She was having trouble breathing. The pain from her now broken ribs and the fact that her arms were above her head made the pain almost unbearable with each breath she took.

"Well, well, well. Aren't you a tough little bitch," he spat. "I thought you would have begged me to stop by now. Is that what you want? You want me to stop?"

Kensi said nothing.

"I wonder what your boyfriend will think of you now. I'll bet he takes one look at the mess you've become and walks away. I know I would."

Kensi continued to look away from him and said nothing.

"You'll beg me to stop. I'll see to that." He stood and pulled a small knife from his pocket then walked to the end of the bed. He pulled her feet toward him.

She wanted to yank them away but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction. It would have added fuel to his warped desire to hurt her. Despite her resolve to not show pain, she couldn't stop the scream that escaped her mouth when he took the knife and cut a slash across the bottom of her right foot. He smiled wickedly and made another slash. She swallowed hard and steeled herself for the next one and managed to stifle other screams as he made several cuts on each foot.

When she refrained from screaming after the first slash, he was visibly upset. He finally glared angrily at her and stalked out of the room.

Kensi slumped as he shut the door. She tried desperately to gather her strength so she could lean up to see how badly her feet were bleeding but it was too difficult. She didn't think the cuts had been so deep that she could bleed out but they were definitely bleeding. She felt a tear, slide down her cheek and fought to gain control. If he saw that, he would hurt her more.

She was physically and emotionally exhausted. She felt the darkness slowly descend upon her and she welcomed it gladly.

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Sam strolled up to the bench on the pier and sat down. He opened a newspaper and pretended to read. He turned the page and purposely dropped a section of it at his feet. As he bent down to pick it up he checked the bottom of the bench to make sure the instructions hadn't been placed there already. He saw nothing. He stayed there for a few more minutes then got up and walked back to his car parked a couple of blocks away.

Callen had a brown bag with a bottle of whiskey in it. He took a couple of sips so it would be on his breath if someone checked. He spilled a little on his clothing as well. He slowly walked down the pier, wobbling as he meandered toward another bench that was about fifteen feet further than the target bench. He passed Sam without a glance as he was leaving. He sat down and covertly watched the people who passed by from underneath the bill of his cap. He pretended to take sips from his bottle and would get up every so often to wander around the area but he kept a close eye on the bench in question. This was going to be a long night.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

It was now after 6:00 pm. They had less than eighteen hours to find Kensi. Deeks had gone to the last known location of the van and had driven around looking in hotel parking lots, diners, warehouse districts, anyplace he thought the van could be. He drove down remote roads to private homes, down dirt and gravel roads and found nothing. He was beginning to feel panic breaking through his resolve. It would be dark soon and the chances of finding her alive decreased with each passing minute. Darkness would decrease those chances even more. He had just driven through a very rural neighborhood on the edge of the Angeles National Forest when his phone rang.

"Yeah."

"Deeks, the van just showed up on Kaleidoscope!" Eric said excitedly.

"Where?" Deeks practically shouted.

"Right now it's going south on the Glendale Freeway. It just passed the traffic cam at mile marker 115," Eric answered.

Deeks stepped on the gas and headed toward the freeway. "Eric, stay with me and keep me updated with the location." He was speeding but he didn't care. He felt hope for the first time in hours.

"Ok, just spotted him at mile marker 113. Where are you Deeks?"

"Just entered the freeway. I'm at… 116. Can you tell how fast he's going?"

"Not really. He's staying with the traffic though. The further he drives, the more cameras we'll have to access."

After about two minutes, Eric said "He's at 111."

Deeks was traveling at about ninety miles per hour but the traffic was getting heavier the closer he got to the more populated areas. He was forced to slow down.

"He just got off around 110 and stopped at a gas station on the south corner at the exit. I've got him at a gas pump right now."

Deeks knuckles were white as he clenched the steering wheel. He would be able to see the van in about two minutes. He exited the freeway and passed the station on his left.

"I got a visual Eric."He wanted to drive up to the van, shoot the suspect then check to see if Kensi was inside but if she wasn't, he would ruin any chance of following them to where she was being held. He drove past the station and parked to the side of the building next door. He got out and walked closer to the store making sure he was well hidden.

The van was between him and the pump so he couldn't see who was driving. He waited patiently until the man finished. As he walked into the store to pay for the gas, Deeks recognized Stringer. He wanted to strangle him with his bare hands.

Deeks got back in his car and discreetly followed him from the station to a diner a few blocks away. He parked across the street behind a delivery truck and watched Stringer enter the diner. Unfortunately, he had parked right next to the windows so there was no way to break into the van without getting caught.

"Hey Eric, he's at a diner here just off the freeway. Is it possible to detect heat signatures inside vehicles?"

"Yes, technically but I would need satellite coverage over the area and the vehicle would have to be cool. If the engine has been running recently, or if the sun is shining on the metal roof, there's no way to tell if someone is in there."

"How long does it take to cool down?" Deeks asked.

Eric thought for a second, "It really depends on the vehicle but I would guess about an hour for a really good reading."

It was almost dark and Deeks was afraid of losing the van. "Does the van have GPS signal we can track?"

"We checked that earlier. If it had one, it has been disabled because we can't access it."

Deeks sat with his eyes glued to the van and the door to the diner. He was emotionally drained but was running on adrenaline. He realized the only thing he had eaten all day was the toast Kensi had fixed for them this morning. It seemed liked it was days ago.

He sat up quickly when he saw Stringer exit the diner. "Eric he's on the move."

Stringer was walking leisurely to the van and acted like he didn't have a care in the world. Deeks anger began to build slowly. He waited until the van was out of the lot and headed down the street before he pulled out of his hiding place. Deeks followed him for about three miles with Eric giving him updates as he saw the van on traffic cams. Deeks wasn't taking any chances and kept him in sight at all times.

The van pulled into a cheap hotel and Stringer walked to the office. Deeks drove past and onto the side street beside the hotel parking lot. He turned the car around and parked on the street behind a row of poorly trimmed hedges.

Stringer came out a few minutes later and drove to a parking space outside his newly acquired hotel room. He got out and opened the door to room 132 and went inside. Deeks had a perfect view of the door and the van. He relayed the information to Eric then hung up and waited. Waiting. He felt like he'd been doing that all day and he was tired of it. He'd been sitting there blaming himself for everything for about twenty minutes when Eric called.

"Deeks, I checked our satellite coverage and I should be able to check for heat signatures in about forty five minutes."

"Great. If she's in there, I'll get her out. If she's not in there, here's what I want you to do."


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N I own nothing. But I really love reviews!**_

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><p>Kensi awoke to total darkness. She listened intently for sounds outside the door but heard nothing. The pain from every one of her injuries was registering in her brain. When she tried to move her feet she could feel the cuts start to break open and bleed again. She kept perfectly still. Her resolve to be strong and tough had probably kept her alive. She knows he would have hit her and cut her more if she had screamed, cried or begged him to stop. But now she was weakening and she didn't have the strength to summon that courage back. Tears slid down her face and her thoughts went to Deeks. How would he react to her death? She couldn't bear the thought of him alone and mourning her. Life wasn't fair. She had finally found happiness, true happiness and now it was being ripped from her… from them. She whispered quietly, "I love you Marty. Please don't let this ruin your life. I hope you know how much I love you." With that final declaration, Kensi cried herself to sleep.<p>

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Sam had made another couple of trips through the crowd along the pier. He pretended to shop and even pretended to watch the Ferris wheel for a while. It was nearing 10:00 p.m. and the crowds were beginning to thin. "You see anything interesting G.?"

"Not unless you call that kid with the purple mohawk interesting," Callen answered. He had leaned back on the adjacent bench and was pretending to sleep. Now that it was dark, it was easier to watch people.

As the crowds dwindled to nothing and the shops closed, Sam went back to his car. He moved it closer to the pier but still a discreet distance away.

Callen watched as the workers roped off the ride areas and left for the evening. He cringed as he saw a security guard heading his way. He pretended to be asleep as the guard approached.

"Hey, you need to move on out of here," he said politely. Callen didn't respond.

"Hey there. Come on let's go," he shook Callen lightly. "Hey, I'm talking to you!" he yelled.

Again Callen didn't budge.

The guard looked around then looked back at the bum on the bench. He sighed heavily and walked off. It wasn't worth the hassle. The guy wasn't hurting anyone so he might as well let him have a good night's rest.

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Deeks had given Eric the list of items he needed. When the satellite moved into position they found no heat signature in the back of the van. So here he was again… waiting. His stomach growled noisily but he couldn't worry about that right now. He had to stay alert in case Stringer left the room. It was about 10:30 when his phone rang again.

"I'm here," Nell announced.

"Great, let me know when you have the room," Deeks said.

Nell drove into the entrance then got out and walked to the office. She requested a room with two double beds on the east side of the building and was given the key to room 126. She thanked the clerk and walked back to the Ford SUV and drove to the space in front of the door. She got out, grabbed her bags and walked to the door. She unlocked it and dragged her things inside but left the door slightly ajar. She called Deeks and said, "Room 126."

Deeks watched as Nell shut the door. He waited a minute to make sure no one was watching then he pushed through the hedge and crouched between the cars in the lot. He quickly crossed to the SUV and crouched again, watching for anyone who might have seen him.

He got up and walked nonchalantly to room 126 and ducked inside. He quickly shut the door and locked it.

"You got it all?" he asked Nell.

"Yes and I got something for you to eat also." She was shocked at his appearance. He was pale and had dark circles under his eyes. He was very tense and had a haunted look about him.

"Give me the GPS tracker first. I'll feel better when we can keep a closer eye on that van."

Nell opened the bag and pulled out the tiny tracking device. "It's ready to go. I'll let Eric know when it's been placed. Here's your hat."

Deeks pushed his hair back away from his face and put on the hat. If Stringer noticed him he wanted to make it harder to be recognized. He took the device and walked down the sidewalk the opposite direction. He turned left at the corner and crossed to the other side of the parking lot. He crept low behind the cars and made his way quietly back around the lot. He ducked as a door opened between Nell's room and Stringer's. The man came out, got something out of his truck then went back inside. Deeks waited a full minute before he quickly walked up behind the van and placed the tracker under the rear bumper. He slowly worked his way back around the way he had come.

He heaved a sigh of relief when he closed the door behind him. He sat down on the bed and put his head in his hands. "Is it working?"

"Yes and here is the mobile unit you can keep with you. Also, here is your earwig and the keys to the SUV." He reached into his pocket and gave the keys to his Malibu to her.

"Deeks, you need to eat something and get some sleep. You look awful," Nell said firmly.

"I'm not hungry and there is no way I can sleep," he said flatly.

"This is not up for negotiation. Here." She handed him a wrapped sandwich and a bottle of water. "Look, you can't help her if you're dehydrated and sleep deprived."

He looked up at her and reluctantly took the sandwich and water. "Ok, but I'm not sleeping."

"I'm staying here until you do. Eric is watching the van and I can keep an eye on Stringer. I'll let you know if something happens."

He started to object when she raised her palm and shook her head. "Hetty's orders," she said then walked over and sat on the edge of the other bed.

"Fine," he said. He would lie down but there was no way they could make him sleep. He ate a few bites of the sandwich and drank most of the water then put them both on the nightstand. "You find out anything else about Stringer?"

"Not much really. He surprisingly has a wife and two kids," she answered.

"Why is that a surprise?" Deeks asked frowning.

_Damn!_ There was a reason why she spent most of her time in Ops and not in the field. "Well, umm I was just surprised, that's all."

"What are you not telling me Nell," he asked angrily.

She sighed and looked away from him. "He has violent tendencies," she said quietly.

Deeks just stared at her. "You think he was the one who did that to Emily don't you?" The panic was creeping back in.

When she didn't answer, he fell back on the bed and put his hands over his face. He couldn't stop the tears that slowly leaked out. _'Oh God no! Please, please let her be okay! _

Nell watched helplessly as Deeks broke down. She knew there was more between them than just being partners. She tried to assure him that Kensi would be fine, but her words sounded hollow. It was hard to be convincing when she was crying too.

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Callen was sprawled out on the bench when he noticed movement from the corner of his eye. It was close to midnight and the pier was still well lit but not nearly as bright as when it was open. "Got movement," he whispered. He slowly turned his head to get a better look.

He saw a young man walking cautiously up to the bench they had been watching. He glanced at Callen but assumed he wasn't someone to be worried about. He sat down on the bench, pulled an envelope out of his jacket then reached underneath.

Callen whispered, "it's him."

Sam got out of his car and started walking quickly toward the pier.

The young man glanced briefly at Callen then got up and walked back toward the entrance. About halfway up the hill he looked up and saw Sam coming toward him. He froze for a second then turned to run the other way. Callen was standing there waiting for him and made a tackle any football fan would have been proud to watch.

"Who are you?" he screamed as Callen tied his hands behind his back.

"Federal agents," he answered. "Who are you?"

"What? I didn't do anything wrong," the kid yelled.

Sam went over and pulled the envelope from under the bench. He opened it and walked back over to Callen.

"What does it say?" he asked.

"It's just a phone number," Sam answered. "We can't call it or they'll know we grabbed him."

"Let's get this guy back to the boat shed. Call Eric and give him that number. Maybe he can find something."

They hauled the kid up and dragged him back to Sam's car. Callen looked at his watch and grimaced. Twelve hours left to find Kensi.

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Despite Deeks arguments about not sleeping, he had managed to do just that. If you could call it sleep. Nell had turned out the lights so she could look out the window without being seen. She could hear him tossing and turning and mumbling in his sleep.

They hadn't spoken since he realized Kensi was being held by a monster. He had just laid there on the bed and cried softly until he fell into whatever horrible dreams he was having now. She was debating on whether or not to wake him when her phone rang.

He sat up suddenly and croaked out, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing Deeks, it's just my phone." She answered it and Callen told her about the kid on the pier. She relayed to him what had happened since she had arrived.

"Okay, just stay there until about 4:00 then get Deeks' car out of sight. We don't want Stringer to accidently see it and get spooked.

"Okay, will do."

"How's he doing?" Callen asked.

"Umm….."

"That bad, huh?"

"Yeah."

Callen sighed, "Let him know we will head that direction around 5:00. Stay in the area just in case."

"Got it," she said then hung up.

"What's going on?" Deeks asked impatiently.

"There was just a phone number in the envelope under the bench and Eric's checking it now." She told him about the kid who delivered it and said they were questioning him at the boatshed.

He got up and looked out the window just to make sure the van was still there. "This is my fault."

"No it isn't Deeks, why would you think that?"

"If she hadn't been at my apartment, they wouldn't have taken her."

Nell stood next to him and was quiet for a long time. "I know you don't want to hear this but it's true and you need to look at the bigger picture. This guy wanted leverage over someone. Somehow he managed to find out about your… relationship with Kensi. He could have taken her from anywhere. He probably staked out both of your places and chose yours because it was easier. He probably watched and waited until she spent the night at your apartment. He was going to do this to someone, somewhere. There is nothing you could have done to predict this was going to happen.

"But I should have noticed we were being watched," he cried.

"How? Kensi didn't notice either. He has obviously been trained to do this without being noticed just like you and Kensi. Marty Deeks, this is _not_ your fault. Quit beating yourself up about it. You can't live your life like this, always second guessing everything you do. You will get her back, I know you will. Kensi is going to need you when this is over and if you can't get past this, then it will just make matters worse!"

Deeks let out a ragged breath, "You're right Nell. She needs me and I'm not gonna let her down."

"Good, now go back to sleep. I've got this."

He awkwardly patted her on the back and sat back down on the bed. This time he didn't go back to sleep. He just kept checking his watch and getting up to look out the window. Waiting and watching. He wasn't very good at either.


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N Okay before you get mad, I promise I'll have the next chapter up by Saturday sometime! Reviews might make it appear faster.**_

_**As you can see I'm not against using blackmail! :)**_

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><p>"What is your name?" Sam asked the kid for the third time.<p>

He just sat there and said nothing.

Callen looked at Sam and said, "Why don't we just let him go. He's not going to tell us anything."

"You're right G. Although it might not be too safe… Oh, just forget I said anything."

"What do mean 'not safe'," the kid asked.

"Well, your employer is not gonna be too happy you didn't complete your job. And knowing that he has killed two people already… Well you know how bosses can be," Callen commented.

They saw panic appear on his face. "Wait, you can't let me go, I need protection, please you gotta help me."

"I'm sorry but we can't help you if you won't even tell us your name and why you had that envelope," Sam replied.

"Okay, Okay. My name is Kyle Norton. I work in the arcade on the pier."

"And…"

"And this guy comes up to me and says, 'Want to make a couple hundred bucks?' Of course I'm all ears and told him 'Yeah, sure.'

Callen asked, "When was this?"

"This morning about 10:00."

"What did he say?"

"He told me to place the large envelope on the bench right then and the smaller one was to be taped at midnight tonight."

"What did he look like?"

"Tall, slightly balding. Mean eyes."

"How much did he pay you?" Callen asked.

"He gave me a hundred this morning and said he would bring another hundred tonight."

Sam just looked at Callen. "He isn't gonna bring you another hundred tonight. He's gonna come back and kill you."

Fear and panic were evident on his face. "Please, I gotta stay here, don't kick me out!" He begged, sobbing loudly.

"Okay. You can stay here for a little while. We'll see what we can do."

They exited the interrogation room. Sam called for someone to come and watch Kyle for the rest of the night. They truly did need to keep him until this was over for his protection.

"It's after 1:00. I don't think Stringer will go anywhere before six or seven. If we leave at 5:00 we should be there by 6:00 to back Deeks up. According to Nell, he's not doing too well," Callen said tiredly.

"Let's go get everything ready to leave then rest for a little while. There's nothing else we can do right now and Kensi needs us to be on our toes today," Sam suggested.

"I agree," Callen said. It was against his nature to do absolutely nothing and he doubted he would sleep anyway but they did need to be at their best if this was going to end well.

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><p>Get up, look out the window, pace around the room, then sit down on the bed. Repeat process. This had been Deeks routine for the last three hours. He had already checked and double checked his supplies and was ready to grab them and run out the door as soon as Stringer left. Nell had finally fallen asleep around 2:00 but now it was almost time for her to leave. He looked at his watch and decided to wake her.<p>

"Nell, it's time for you to go," Deeks said quietly.

She woke up immediately and quickly looked around, remembering where she was. She got up, picked up her go bag then went into the tiny bathroom. She came out a few minutes later looking awake and ready for the day.

She picked up the keys to Deeks' Malibu and paused at the door. She turned to him and said, "You'll find her, I know it. Please don't lose hope." She walked over and hugged him gently.

He placed an arm around her shoulders and hugged back. "I won't. Thanks Nell… for everything."

She pulled away and gave him a smile as she opened the door. She checked to make sure no one was lurking around then walked down the sidewalk, crossed the lot and pushed through the hedge to his car.

Deeks watched her from the window and was relieved when he saw the headlights through the bushes. He watched the car drive away and looked out the window for a few more minutes. Before long he was back into the routine he had established earlier.

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><p>His alarm went off at 4:30. He had debated the night before about what he should do in the morning. Should he go back to the shack before he picked up Brandon and finish his 'project' or should he wait until afterward? He ultimately decided to finish it before because he didn't want to worry about dealing with two subjects at the same time. But he also was wanted to go this morning because he was looking forward to it. To his time with her. She had proved to be a challenge but it made it that much more enjoyable for him. He admired her courage and strength and would admire her body when he got there. He didn't normally do that sort of thing but this was a woman and not a child. A very beautiful woman at that.<p>

He planned to be at the pier by 11:00 so if he wanted to spend extra time with her, he had to start early. He had already decided where he would leave her body. When Deeks called the number he had left for him, he would be told to put Brandon on the Ferris wheel and leave. He was to call back in one hour from a pay phone at a convenience store near downtown LA. From there he would be directed to the shack where he would find her dead body.

The shack had been great but it had served its purpose. He would find another place to play. It couldn't be traced to him and he was sure the Detective was so worried about losing his girlfriend that he would do exactly as he was told. Guys like him always think they can handle things themselves. This was almost too easy.

He got up, showered and gathered his things. This was going to be a great day.

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><p>Deeks was currently in the sit down portion of his routine when he heard a car engine start. He jumped up to look out the window and saw the van pulling out of the parking space. He fought his urge to grab his bag and run out to the SUV. He called Eric, "He's on the move."<p>

Eric answered. "I was about to call you. I'll have him on traffic cams, the tracker is working great and your mobile unit will work just fine so don't worry. Let's wait until he is at least a block away before you leave the room."

It was agony waiting. He turned on the mobile unit and watched the tiny blip on the screen. As soon as Stringer was exactly a block away, Deeks ran to the car and started it up. He screeched out of the lot and called Callen.

"Stringer is on the move."

"What? Already? Okay we just left the mission five minutes ago. Keep us posted. Deeks, wait for us to get there to move in on him okay?"

"Will do," he said as he hung up. _'Like hell I will,'_ he thought.

He tried to stay several blocks behind him but it was hard to do. He wanted to be able to see the van. Every once in a while he would catch up just enough to see it and then back off. He and Eric were communicating through coms now and the tech would give him updates as he saw Stringer on traffic cams.

Deeks couldn't help but let out a whoop as Stringer went north on the Glendale Freeway. It meant he wasn't going back into LA and was probably taking them to wherever he was keeping Kensi.

'_Hang on Kens, I'm on my way!'_ he thought to himself.

He followed him for several miles on the freeway and then tensed as he exited near the Angeles National Forest. Deeks had driven around here yesterday but found nothing. There wasn't much traffic at 5:30 in the morning but what there was had thinned considerably. If you looked to the east, you could see the darkness starting to lift slightly. He watched the blip and stayed at least a mile behind it. There were no traffic cams out here so they were relying solely on the tracker. He was so thankful he had put it on the van. There is no way he could have followed him through this meandering route without being seen, especially with his headlights on.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Sam and Callen were making good time because of the light traffic but they were still at least half an hour behind Deeks.

"You think he will wait for us?" Sam asked.

"Would you?"

"Hell no."

Callen stepped on the gas and drove faster.

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The slow pace of the van was killing Deeks. He had to stay out of sight so he had to drive just as slowly. Granted the road was twisting and turning and he probably shouldn't be driving much faster but he couldn't help it. The van eventually turned off on a gravel road and he heard Eric say, "Deeks, the van has stopped."

He slowed to a stop and checked the blip on the screen. "Can you tell how many more curves there are in the road? Can I get any closer or do I need to stop here?"

"According to the map I have, it looks like there might be two more curves. I'd go about four hundred more feet then stop."

Deeks drove to the edge of the next turn, pulled over into the brush and parked. He grabbed the backpack that contained extra ammo, water and basic medical supplies and strapped it to his back. This had also been on the list he had given Eric earlier. He left the mobile unit in the SUV and now relied solely on Eric for directions.

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Kensi had slept off and on throughout the night. The pain would wake her up and then her exhaustion and hopelessness would cause her to fall back asleep. She woke up suddenly and realized she had heard something. She listened carefully and heard a car door slam. _'Oh, God, please let it not be him!' _She closed her eyes and tried again to pretend. She heard the door opening and her heart sank when she heard his voice.

"Good morning Miss Blye. Did you have a pleasant evening?"

Her eyes were closed but she could tell he had brought a lamp or a flashlight in with him. She hoped he would think she was already dead but when he leaned over and kissed her on the mouth she couldn't hide her surprise or her disgust. Her eyes flew open and she glared at him angrily.

"There you are! I knew you couldn't wait to see me again." He pulled out his knife then leaned over her again and began cutting off her shirt.

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There was just enough light to barely see the road. He ran the next half mile and slowed as he neared where the van had stopped. It was beginning to get lighter and he needed to find a hiding place somewhere close.

"The van is about a hundred feet directly in front of you."

Deeks could see the outline of the van and crept closer keeping to the tree line. He had to go slowly to keep the crunching sound of the underbrush from echoing loudly.

Sam and Callen had just pulled off the freeway and were following Eric's directions to where Deeks was located. It was about 5:45 and they were fifteen minutes behind him.

Deeks found a spot behind a tree and could just make out the tiny little shack. One good kick could probably knock it over. He looked carefully around the area and saw no one. He decided to move in closer. He took a chance and quietly followed the road to stay out of the noisy underbrush. The gravel crunched slightly beneath him but it was much quieter than the forest. Now he was directly behind the van and maybe twenty feet from the shack. The light was better now and he could see that it probably had only one room. He was pretty sure he was looking at the only door into the place. He had no idea how many were inside but his gut told him that Kensi was in there and that was all that mattered to him. The place was so small there couldn't be very many in there.

"I'm here," he whispered to Eric.

He listened intently for sounds coming from inside. He could hear a man's voice and decided to move closer to hear what was being said. He could see a dim light inside shining out through the cracks.

"Surely you don't want me to stop now do you? After all we've been through together and now you want me to stop?"

Kensi was too drained to be brave anymore. After the kiss he had re-taped her mouth. Now he was cutting the tape off her ankles. The movement caused pain to shoot through the cuts on her feet. She wanted to kick him now that her feet were no longer bound but her muscles in her legs were screaming and she had no energy left to fight. He unbuckled her belt and unzipped her jeans.

"Sorry to inform you, but you don't get to decide if I actually stop or not."

Deeks had heard enough. It concerned him that he hadn't heard Kensi answer him. What had he done to her? He made his decision quickly. He wasn't waiting on Sam and Callen. He knew as soon as he stepped on that rickety porch, they would know he was there but he had to take that chance. He tried to be as quiet as possible as he walked to the door, gun in hand.

Kensi shook her head back and forth and the look in her eyes could only be classified as 'begging'.

He yanked her jeans down her legs roughly then pulled them off. She tried to fight and kick him but her fatigue and the injuries to her legs caused them not to cooperate.

"Why couldn't you have shown me this side of you earlier? We could have had so much more fun. Now your lover boy is going to find you here this afternoon. He'll know what we did. You think it will bother him? I sincerely doubt it. Your playboy detective was probably about finished with you anyway."

Deeks was now at the door and could hear every word. His anger was rising quickly. The porch had creaked loudly as he stepped up on it but the guy was so busy trying to tear Kensi down he hadn't heard it. If anyone else had been in there they would have come out to check. This guy was in here alone with Kensi.

Sam and Callen had just driven up behind Deeks vehicle and parked. "We're here Deeks. We should be there in less than ten minutes. Wait for us." Sam pleaded. They began running up the road to the van.

Deeks heard Sam but ignored him. He stood and kicked the door as hard as he could.


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N As promised. Let me know what you think!**_

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><p><em>Sam and Callen had just driven up behind Deeks' vehicle and parked. "We're here Deeks. We should be up there in less than ten minutes. Wait for us." Sam pleaded. They began running up the road toward the van.<em>

_Deeks heard Sam but ignored him. He stood and kicked the door as hard as he could._

Stringer had removed his shirt and pants and was standing at the end of the bed with the knife in his hand. His head jerked hard toward the door in surprise.

Deeks charged into the room and quickly saw Kensi tied to the bed and Stringer standing over her with the knife. He didn't think twice before he pulled the trigger. He shot him in the leg and moved quickly toward him. He had dropped the knife and his screams were deafening as he lay on the floor holding his leg.

"Deeks!" Sam yelled through coms as they were running up the road. They had heard the gunshot and were almost there.

Deeks kicked the knife away and looked over at Kensi. He was horrified at what he saw. Her face was pale behind dark splotches. She was in her bra and panties and there wasn't a spot on her body that wasn't bruised and swollen. Then he noticed the pool of blood at the foot of the bed and saw the bottoms of her feet. He choked back a sob and raced over to her.

"Oh God, Kensi! Eric, send an ambulance immediately!" He gently pulled the tape from her mouth then took a knife from his pocket and carefully cut the ropes that held her arms above her head. She cried out sharply as he slowly lowered her arms. He knew the pain must be unbearable.

Kensi thought she must be dreaming. Was Deeks really here or was it in her mind. Tears flowed freely as she looked lovingly at the image of Deeks in her mind. As she watched his face, she slowly closed her eyes and slipped into darkness once again.

Deeks watched in horror as she passed out. "Kensi! He quickly checked her pulse to make sure she was still alive. He gently tried to slide her down to a more comfortable position. He could hear her ragged breathing.

His anger took over. Stringer was still in the floor whimpering and writhing around. He grabbed his gun and walked back over to him. He kicked him hard in the ribs. Stringer began yelping and started crying. "So you can dish it out but you can't take it, huh!" Deeks screamed. He walked around and kicked him hard on the other side. Stringer yelled again and begged Deeks to stop. "You want me to stop, is that what you want? You sick son-of-a-bitch!" He kicked him hard again and heard a rib crack. He was preparing to kick him again when he heard someone enter the room.

"Deeks stop!" Callen commanded.

He looked over at Sam and Callen as they entered the room. He saw the realization wash over their faces as they looked at Kensi.

Tears streamed down his face as he looked back down at the piece of trash wallowing around on the floor. He raised his gun and pointed it at Stringer's head.

"Don't, please don't," Stringer whined.

Sam whispered, "Deeks, don't do this."

Deeks looked at Stringer, then back at Kensi. Stringer deserved it for what he had done to her. But if he pulled the trigger, then Stringer would get off easy and for what he had done to Kensi, he wanted him to suffer. He lowered his gun and handed it to Sam as he went back to Kensi. He was afraid he would change his mind and blow the bastard's head off.

Callen and Sam went over to Stringer and tied him up. They dragged him outside in his underwear and threw him on the ground. They could care less if he was in pain. Who was going to believe his story? They would say Deeks fought with him then managed to get to his gun and shoot him in the leg. He could have shot him in the chest but he didn't in order to preserve his sorry life. Deeks would be the hero in their version of the story.

Callen called Hetty and filled her in on what they had found. "Where is the ambulance?"

"They are on their way Mr. Callen."

"You better get Eric to talk them through the roads out here. We never would have found this place."

"How's Kensi?" she asked.

"Not good Hetty. She's unconscious right now. Deeks is in there with her but… it's really bad."

Hetty sighed loudly. "Let me know when they leave to transport her to the hospital."

"Will do. We're bringing Stringer to the boatshed. He's been shot but there is no way he's going out of here by ambulance. I'm going to find the roughest route possible out of here," he said angrily.

"I'll inform the FBI of what we've uncovered… after we have interrogated him first. I'm sending out the forensics team to document it all. Make sure you have a picture of that monster in his current state of undress."

Callen thanked Hetty then turned to go back inside.

He found Deeks hovering over Kensi. He had taken the medical supplies out of his backpack and was using them to gently clean and bandage her feet. He had also covered her nearly nude body with his jacket. Callen noticed the streaks on his face where the tears kept falling. "How is she?" he asked softly.

Deeks moved back around to her head and knelt beside the bed. He checked her vital signs again. "Her breathing is a little better… but her pulse is weak. She's lost a lot of blood," he said in a shaky voice.

Callen moved up behind him and placed his hand on his shoulder. "The ambulance will be here in a few minutes. She'll be okay Deeks. She's strong."

"She was conscious when I got here. He… he was… he was about to rape her Callen," he cried as his body quietly shook with sobs. He reached out and took her right hand gently in his. It was the only part of her body that hadn't been beaten. Her wrists were raw from the rope burns but her hands and fingers were untouched. He bent over and kissed it gently, not wanting to move her injured arms.

Sam came inside and said "Ambulance will be here in three minutes." He walked toward the bed and clinched his fists when he saw Kensi's injuries up close.

Callen looked at Sam and motioned for him to follow him outside.

"One of us has to stay here until the forensics team arrives. The other needs to take that piece of crap back to the boatshed."

"G. You better leave me here 'cause I'll kill him," Sam said firmly.

Stringer was lying in the gravel next to the van. "Okay, I'll go get the SUV and bring it up here." He paused as he walked past Stringer. He decided to prop him up against the van and just accidently banged his head a little too hard in the process. He walked off as Stringer started wailing again.

Sam watched with a look of satisfaction on his face then turned to go back inside. He would have his chance when they put him in the back of the SUV.

Deeks heard the sirens in the distance. His eyes never left Kensi's face as he talked to her quietly, "Kensi, wake up baby. Let me see your beautiful eyes. Come on Kens, you're safe now. I love you Princess. Please wake up."

Sam couldn't help but overhear Deeks. He ducked his head and fought to keep his emotions down.

As the ambulance pulled up in front of the shack, Sam went out to meet them and directed them into the house. As they passed Stringer sitting next to the van, one of them looked curiously at Sam. "He's not important, we need you in here."

As the EMT's came in the room, Deeks kissed Kensi's hand again and quickly backed out of their way. The female tech gasped audibly when she saw Kensi. He gave them a short description of the injuries he knew about and leaned back against the wall.

Deeks watched as they gently checked her injuries. They quickly hooked up an IV to give her fluids. When they rolled her to her side, Deeks' hand flew to cover his mouth. The sight of the bruises on her back and the back of her legs started a fresh wave of silent sobs.

Callen arrived with the SUV and but was in no hurry to load up Stringer. He would wait until Kensi was safely in the ambulance.

After about half an hour of checking and preparing Kensi for the trip to the hospital, the crew of two was ready to take her to the ambulance. There was no question of whether or not Deeks was going with her. He was going. Period.

Sam and Deeks helped them carefully carry the gurney over the rough porch and the gravel. After she was placed in the ambulance, Deeks walked back over to Stringer and punched him as hard as he could across his jaw. The male EMT just stopped and stared.

"Did he do that to her?" he asked pointing to Stringer.

"Yeah," Deeks answered giving him a challenging look.

"I didn't see a thing," he said nodding his head at Deeks.

"Hey, could you do us a small favor?" Callen asked the tech.

"Name it," he replied.

"Do you have something we could wrap around his wound? I don't want him bleeding all over my car."

"Sure," he said smiling slightly. He got a disposable blanket from the back of the ambulance and tossed it at Callen.

"Don't worry, we'll take good care of her," he said as he closed the back of the ambulance after Deeks climbed in.

He got in the driver's seat and slowly drove down the gravel road.

Sam looked at Callen and then at Stringer. "You ready to take that piece of crap in?"

"No. I'd rather just tie him to that bed and let him rot out here."

"Is that an option? 'Cause I could go for that. But let's beat him black and blue first, okay?"

The fear on Stringer's face was evident. "I'm a federal agent! You'd never get away with it!"

"Oh, but its okay for you to beat up federal agent? A female federal agent!" Callen yelled.

"You are a sorry excuse for a human being," Sam shouted. "And leaving you here to die is too humane for you. You're going back to be prosecuted so everyone will know about your dirty little secrets. They'll find out you're a traitor. You _were_ an agent Stringer but not anymore. You know what they do to traitors, right?"

Sam roughly picked him up and walked him toward the SUV.

"Where are my clothes? I need my clothes!" he whined.

"Too bad. They are now evidence," Callen sneered at him. He spread the blanket on the back seat and was about to shove Stringer in when Sam tapped him on the shoulder and said, "Allow me."

He grabbed Stringer by his throat then punched him hard in the stomach. He let him go and shoved him backwards into the vehicle. "I think he was resisting arrest don't you G."

"That's what it looked like to me Sam."

Callen and Sam got in and drove down the road. He dropped Sam at his car then headed back into LA.

Sam drove his car back to the shack and waited patiently for the forensics team to arrive. He sat quietly in his car and sent up silent prayers for Kensi.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Deeks had requested that Kensi be taken to Pacific Beach Medical. That was where they were usually taken when they had the misfortune of needing a trip to the hospital. He had been taken there when he was shot and was pleased with his care and treatment. He trusted them to take care of Kensi.

He held her hand as the tech continued to monitor her vital signs. They had covered her with a blanket but the bruises to her face and arms were brutal. He couldn't imagine what she must have endured. She had been a punching bag to that monster for almost twenty four hours. He looked at her face and prayed she would wake up soon.

The EMT looked at Deeks and asked, "What's her name?"

"Kensi," he replied.

"Is she a cop?"

"Federal Agent. She's my… partner."

"And your name?"

"Deeks. Marty Deeks," he said, never taking his eyes off Kensi.

"Well Marty, I think your… partner is a very strong person to have survived this."

"She is. She's tougher than you could ever imagine," he told her. "I'm sorry; I didn't ask your name."

"Crystal."

Deeks looked at her suddenly and smiled briefly. "Nice to meet you Crystal. Thanks for taking care of my… of Kensi."

He looked back at Kensi and smiled, "Okay, Princess. You really need to wake up now. You're gonna get a kick out of this one."

Crystal wasn't sure what had changed Marty's demeanor all of a sudden, but she could tell his smile combined with those lovely blue eyes were a deadly combination. Too bad he was totally in love with his partner.

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><p><em><strong>AN Thanks for the wonderful reviews. Also thanks to Emma who wanted Deeks to beat the crap out of him AND shoot him. I thought I would let them all have a crack at him!**_


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N Okay, I'm not a medical person so if some of that stuff is wrong I'm really sorry. Reviews make my day!**_

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><p>Deeks held Kensi's hand as long as he could when they arrived at the hospital. When they reached the doors to the emergency room, they made him stay in the waiting area. He hung his head and sat down in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs in the corner. He put his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. <em>'Please, let her be okay!'<em> he said silently over and over.

He had only been there a few minutes when he heard the automatic doors slide open but he didn't look up. He was startled when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up sharply. "Nell. Hey."

"How is she?"

"I don't know yet. They just took her back a few minutes ago. She's in really bad shape Nell."

She sat down next to him and was silent for a while. "Deeks, she's gonna be okay. If anyone can get through this, she can. She's the toughest chick I've ever met!" she said trying to lighten his mood.

"Yeah, she's definitely tough," he said smiling. Then his smile faded as the vision of all her injuries came rushing back. "That bastard even rolled her over so he could beat her back and legs. The only place she isn't bruised or cut is her hands!" he said softly as he dropped his head again.

Nell remembered the picture of Emily Taylor and shuddered slightly. "They took Stringer to the boatshed but they haven't called the FBI yet. They want to talk to him first."

"I can't be a part of that interrogation. I almost killed him. I wish I had."

"I heard you that you knocked the knife out of his hands and fought with him. In the process of defending yourself you punched him in the face, ribs and stomach several times before you were able to reacquire your weapon and shoot him in the leg. When he fell to the floor he hit the back of his head," she said smiling. "At least that is the official version of the events."

Deeks smiled briefly. "Is that Sam's and Callen's version?"

"Yes it is."

"But I didn't hit him in the stomach and he didn't hit the back of his head," he looked up frowning.

"Let's just say that Sam and Callen had a little 'chat' with Stringer also."

Deeks smiled again and leaned back in his seat just as Hetty came through the sliding doors.

"Mr. Deeks, any word yet?"

"Not yet Hetty."

"You need to go home and get some rest. Nell and I will stay here."

"Hetty, I'm not going anywhere right now. I need to be here for her. I need to know she's going to be okay," he said almost desperately.

"You can stay for now. But as soon as she is out of the emergency room, I want you to go home."

Deeks nodded but didn't say anything. He would stay here as long as Kensi needed him.

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><p>Stringer was in the boatshed in the interrogation room alone. They had given him medical attention and some baggy clothing. They didn't want to be accused of not treating their suspect well. They had given him pain killers but he continued to yell out to no one. "You can't keep me here! Call my director at the FBI! You people are all going to lose your jobs over this!"<p>

Sam and Callen just watched him on the monitor.

"I don't want to go in there G. I'm afraid of what I might do to him."

"Same here but one of us has to."

"How long can we keep him here before we have to tell the FBI we've got him?"

"I'm not really sure. We probably need to finish up by the end of the day." Before they could decide who was going in, they were interrupted by Callen's cell phone.

"Yes Hetty."

"Mr. Callen. Have you spoken to Mr. Stringer yet?"

"No, we haven't. We're trying to figure out how to do this without strangling him."

"As soon as we hear from the Doctor about Ms. Blye's condition, I will be coming back to have a discussion with Mr. Stringer myself. Just let him stew until I get there."

"Will do Hetty. Thanks," Callen said as he hung up.

"We are off the hook… for now. Hetty is going to interrogate him."

"That should be worth watching. We'll have to make popcorn again," Sam said grinning.

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><p>The forensics team had finished up and sent pictures electronically to OSP. Eric was currently sorting through them and categorizing them. They wanted this case to be thoroughly organized before they turned Stringer over to the FBI. DNA samples had not been tested yet but they were fairly certain that Emily Taylor had been held in the shack also.<p>

Eric had already downloaded Callen's pictures from the scene, including the one of Stringer in nothing but his underwear. He was dreading getting the ones he would be receiving shortly from the hospital. Callen had told him that Kensi was severely beaten. All he could picture was the poor body of Emily Taylor. He hoped Kensi's injuries weren't as bad as hers. He would be horrified when he received them and realized that Kensi's were worse.

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><p>They had been sitting in the waiting room for over two hours when a Doctor came out of the double doors to the ER.<p>

"Hetty Lang! It's good to see you again. I got your message concerning Miss Blye and the proof of injuries needed."

Deeks stood up instantly and walked toward him with Nell right behind him.

"Hello Dr. Parker, how is she?" Hetty asked as she joined them and shook his hand.

"Well, I'm amazed she's still with us. She lost a lot of blood but we have replaced it and her color is better already. She has a concussion, three cracked ribs and four broken ribs. Her right cheekbone is also cracked. She has multiple deep bruises that will take quite some time to heal and she won't be walking on those feet for at least two weeks. She is in serious condition at the moment but I'm confident she will make a full recovery. It will take some time, however."

"Can we see her now, is she conscious?" Deeks asked hopefully.

"We are keeping her in a drug induced coma for a few hours. Now that she has been given blood, her injuries, while not life threatening, are extremely painful. We're letting her body try to heal naturally for a few hours before we start giving her pain killers."

"We are moving her to ICU until we gradually wake her up sometime tomorrow morning. Once we have her settled, she can have one visitor every hour for ten minutes. I'll send one of her nurses out to get you when she's ready."

"Hetty, I'm sorry that we only ever see one another under these dreadful circumstances."

"So am I, Richard. We need to do something about that one of these days," Hetty said smiling. "Thank you so much for taking care of her."

"It's my pleasure Hetty," he shook her hand and walked quickly back through the double doors.

"Mr. Deeks, Ms. Jones needs to assist Mr. Beale and I need to speak to that horrid animal we have locked up in the boatshed. Once they move Ms. Blye into ICU you may go see her when they say she is ready. Then I want you to go home, eat something and get some sleep. There is no need to come back here until tomorrow morning. Are we clear on that?"

He knew there was no sense arguing with her. He nodded agreement and said "Thank you Hetty."

Nell gave him back his keys to the Malibu and told him where she had parked it. She patted him on the arm and said, "I told you she was one tough chick."

He smiled and said, "Thanks Nell."

She followed Hetty out the doors to ride with her back to the Mission.

Deeks walked down the hallway to ICU and found another hard plastic chair to occupy. He leaned his head against the wall and closed his eyes. She was going to be okay. He felt relief wash over him as the tension began to leave his body. As the tension eased, the need to de-stress appeared. He sat up straight and tried to control his emotions. He couldn't de-stress here. If he let go now there is no telling what would happen. He might scream, hit the wall or just start sobbing loudly. Those were the things he did in private after a bad case. It didn't happen often but he felt it today. He had to wait until he got home. Kensi needed him not to be a head case. He needed not to be a head case.

After about half an hour he looked up as a short, blonde nurse walked up. "Are you here for Miss Blye?"

"Yes," he said as he stood.

"Follow me."

He took a deep breath and followed her into a darkened room. What he saw shocked him. He walked toward the hospital bed and looked down at Kensi. His breath caught sharply as he looked at her beautiful face. The swelling had increased since he last saw her and the bruises had turned purple and black. Her wrists were bandaged and she had on a hospital gown. All he could see was her face and her arms and it made him weak in the knees. If the rest of her body was this bad, and he knew it was, how on earth would she be able to stand the pain?

He took another deep breath and choked down his emotions. He reached out and took her left hand in his, careful not to move her arms.

"Hey Kens, it's me. I hope you can hear me."

He looked at her heart and breathing monitors and listened to the regular beeps.

"I just want you to know, I'm here if you need me and I'll be here when you wake up in the morning."

He lightly rubbed his thumb across her hand.

"I love you Princess and I can't wait to see your beautiful eyes." He bent over and kissed her hand lightly.

"He can't hurt you anymore Kens. We got him and he won't ever hurt anyone again."

He watched her face for any sign that she might have heard him but saw nothing. He patted her hand lightly and just watched her sleep.

The nurse stood at the door and watched as he talked to her. She didn't know who he was exactly but it was obvious he cared deeply for her. She hated to end this but his ten minutes were up.

"Sir, what is your name?" she asked politely.

He turned to her, "Marty Deeks."

"Mr. Deeks, I'm Kayla Randell. I'll be one of her nurses while she is in ICU. I really hate to say this but your time is up. You can come back in an hour if you'd like to visit her again."

He turned back to Kensi and kissed her hand again. "I have to leave now Princess but I'll be back. I love you."

He reluctantly let go of her hand and backed to the door. "Thank you Kayla. I'll be back in an hour."

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><p><em><strong>AN Hetty's interrogation tactics coming up!**_


	12. Chapter 12

Eric contacted Commander Samuels to let him know he could release his team from protective custody. He informed him they would get back in touch with him with the details a bit later. Nell had joined him when she got back and was helping him organize the case. They were now settling in to watch Hetty interrogate Stringer. Nell wished they had popcorn or maybe some 'Junior Mints' but Hetty had a strict 'no food' rule while in Ops.

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><p>Hetty opened the door and entered the interrogation room. Stringer looked surprised to see the tiny woman walk through the door. His hands were bound with zip ties as he sat at the table.<p>

"Who the hell are you?" he asked.

Hetty didn't answer. She sat in the chair on the opposite side of the table and just stared at him.

"Why haven't you contacted my boss at the FBI? I have asked for a lawyer repeatedly!"

"Typically, suspected terrorists aren't privy to legal advice until they have been charged with a specific crime Mr. Stringer," Hetty said sweetly.

"Terrorist? I'm not a terrorist!"

"Then what are you exactly?"

He paused briefly and said, "I'm an FBI agent."

Hetty chuckled softly, "No Mr. Stringer you are not. Not anymore. So why don't you tell me why you felt it necessary to kidnap a Federal Agent?"

"I didn't kidnap her."

"Mr. Stringer, Hollis, is it? Let's not play these games. I promise you will lose and lose badly."

Hetty turned slightly in her chair to look toward the door as if she was expecting someone to enter.

"So, if you didn't kidnap her, then how did she manage to get to that shack in the forest? You do realize that we found her DNA in the back of the van you stole from the FBI garage? Oh, and her gun and badge were there also."

"We also found you practically naked in said shack wielding a knife. Not to mention finding the aforementioned Federal Agent that you very nearly beat to death tied to the bed."

"We have proof of all of this Mr. Stringer plus we have Miss Blye's account of the events as well so don't try to bullshit me. I don't do bullshit."

Stringer looked defeated as he stared at his hands.

"Who are you?" he asked again.

"My name is Henrietta Lang."

Recognition flashed across Stringer's face before his shoulders slumped and he lowered his head again.

Sam and Callen couldn't wipe the grins from their faces as they watched the monitor in the next room. They were feeling much better since they found out Kensi was going to make it. They had made a big batch of popcorn and were enjoying the show.

"So why don't we just skip the stuff that we know is fact and move on to the things that we don't know, such as why did you do this and who did you do it for?" Hetty asked.

He fidgeted nervously but said nothing.

"Did you do it because you were bored? Or maybe you did it because it makes you feel more like a man to beat up a woman?"

He made no comment.

Why don't you feel like a man Mr. Stringer? Do you have sexual problems?"

Callen just about choked on his popcorn while Sam's drink spewed out of his mouth. They looked over at each other and tried to control themselves. While they knew it was a serious matter, it was just shocking to hear Hetty baiting him like that.

"In my experience, men who hit women either have problems getting it up or they subconsciously hate themselves. Which is it Mr. Stringer?"

"Neither," he said flatly.

"Oh, enlighten me please. Because, for the life of me, I can't think of one good reason for beating a young child or a young woman to death. Go on, I'm listening."

"I was forced to do it."

"Oh, you were forced to do it, I see. They told you to kidnap Emily Taylor and beat her savagely? Who _forced_ you to do this?"

Stringer sighed heavily and looked away.

"I'm waiting Mr. Stringer."

When he still didn't answer she smiled at him and said, "Mr. Stringer, I don't think you fully grasp your predicament. No one knows you're here. I could very easily tie a weight around your ankles and drop you through the hole behind you. The sharks usually feed around this time of day.

He looked behind him and saw the trap door in the floor. He shook his head and reluctantly answered her question.

"I was asked to retrieve information on the early warning system the Navy was working on. They didn't want the actual specs, they just wanted to compromise the project so they would have to scrap it."

"'Who asked you to do this?"

"A government in the Middle East."

"And which country would this government belong to?"

"Syria."

"And who exactly in the Syrian government asked you to do this?"

"I'm not sure," he replied.

"You're not sure? How did you know it was a legitimate request?"

"I always deal with the same person," he blurted out.

"Do you mean to tell me that you have given classified information to the Syrian government on previous occasions Mr. Stringer?

He dropped his head to the table and sighed.

"How much were you to be paid?"

When he didn't answer Hetty said, "We've already subpoenaed your bank records and are combing through your entire life. We will figure it out soon enough."

"Half a million."

Hetty stood and looked down at Stringer.

"So you did it for money? I'm sorry Mr. Stringer but I don't believe any amount of money could make people do what you did. You enjoyed it and that makes you a very sick person."

"We will contact the Syrian government and let them know what we have discovered. They'll deny it of course but it will scare the pants off of them to find out we know about it."

Hetty walked around to the end of the table and sat on the edge.

"Tell me something Hollis. Do you beat your wife?"

"No!"

"Do you beat your children?"

"Of course not!"

"But it's perfectly fine for you to beat someone else's child or someone else's wife or girlfriend?"

Hetty leaned in closer and said quietly, "How many others have there been Mr. Stringer? These weren't your first victims were they?"

He stared straight ahead and kept his mouth closed.

"We will dig through your entire life, every case, every dollar you ever spent and every person you've been in contact with. As a matter of fact, we've already begun."

He blinked once but continued to stare at the wall.

"For the record, you are to be charged with the kidnapping and murder of Emily Taylor, the kidnapping of Brandon Samuels, the blackmailing of the Taylor family, Samuels family and LAPD Detective Marty Deeks and the kidnapping and assault of Federal Agent Kensi Blye. I'm sure we will come up with many more charges over the next few days. Oh I almost forgot. You will also be charged with treason."

She let that one sink in for a minute.

"Off the record, you are nothing but a piece of garbage that doesn't deserve to breathe fresh air. What you did to that little girl and to my agent are deplorable and sickening. I can't wait to see what happens when you are finally placed in prison. The life expectancy for Federal Agents in the prison system is not very long. I think I'll start an office pool to see how long you will last."

And with that, Hetty walked out and left Stringer crying like a baby.

* * *

><p>Deeks drove to his apartment to shower and dress quickly. He spent a little longer than he intended in the shower. The hot water seemed to help ease the tension in his neck and shoulders. He thought about the last time he and Kensi were in the shower together and smiled. As he thought about how her beautiful body had been used as a punching bag he began to sob uncontrollably. He didn't try to stop it. This would be the last time he allowed his emotions to get the best of him. Kensi couldn't be allowed to see this side of him. She needed him to be strong. She would hate it if she thought he felt sorry for her and she would definitely hate it if she knew he had cried over her.<p>

As these thoughts crossed his mind he slowly calmed down and regained his composure. He finished his shower, dressed and packed a bag with some necessities and a couple of changes of clothing. He took Monty to his neighbor and asked if she would take care of him for a few days. She was retired and had watched him before when Deeks was on long term undercover assignments. She agreed happily. Deeks patted Monty and told him goodbye then headed back to the hospital.

It was around 1:00 p.m. and he made it back just in time for the next ten minute window to be with Kensi. Afterward he sat back in the same plastic chair and closed his eyes. He sat up suddenly and thought about Kensi's mom Julia. Should he call her and let her know about Kensi? He struggled with what to do for a few minutes and ultimately decided to wait. She didn't need to see Kensi like this. He would wait until Kensi was awake and ask her what she wanted to do.

After his stomach had growled embarrassingly loud several times, he opted to go to the hospital cafeteria and eat something. He came back up and waited until it was time to visit Kensi again. As he went inside nurse Kayla decided to bend the rules a bit. She walked in as he was telling her that someone named Monty was missing her.

"Mr. Deeks?" she called.

"I know, time's up," he said as he sighed.

"No, I was going to say, if you want to, you can stay here in that chair if you like."

"Really? You don't mind?" he grinned as he turned to her.

"She's not critical so I don't think anyone will mind."

"Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome Mr. Deeks."

As she left the room, Deeks turned back to Kensi and said, "Did you hear that Princess? I don't have to leave this time."

He scooted the chair closer to her bed and again placed her hand in his. He looked at all the tubes and monitors attached to her and wondered what each one was for.

"In just a few hours, you're going to wake up. It will take some time for your injuries to heal but I'm going to help you Kens. I love you baby."

Before too long, fatigue settled over his body. He laid his head on the edge of Kensi's bed but never let go of her hand.

When Nurse Kayla stopped by a little while later, she smiled when she saw him asleep holding her hand. This was one very dedicated man.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN Trying to update faster but 'stuff' keeps getting in the way! Let me know what you think of the interrogation. Thanks!**_


	13. Chapter 13

A/N Just because I haven't mentioned it in a while... I own nothing. But I really like reviews!

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><p>Sam and Callen quickly hid the popcorn just before Hetty exited the interrogation room. They sat still and grinned like school boys caught putting a frog into a girls backpack.<p>

"Gentleman, I'm sure you have reports to finish up. We need to have them completed by four this afternoon. I want to hand him over to the FBI with more than enough damning evidence to lock him up forever. Also, get Kyle Norton back over here to make a positive ID. I want this monster connected to every detail."

As they walked out the door to head back to the Mission, they heard Hetty ask, "Do I smell popcorn?"

* * *

><p>Eric was working on making an edited version of the interrogation video to hand over to the FBI. He had to leave out the part where Hetty threatened to drop him down the hatch in the boatshed and when she said she would start an office pool to bet on how long he lasted in prison. He couldn't help but smile again as he thought about how the tiny little woman had brought the man to tears.<p>

Sam and Callen entered and saw the video replaying on the big screen. "So you did get to see it," he said smiling.

"Yes we did," Nell said grinning widely.

"When Kensi gets better I think she and Deeks need to watch that," Callen suggested.

"The full, unedited version!" Eric said smiling.

"Maybe we should all watch it again and make a party out of it," Nell giggled.

"It was epic!" Eric said with a laugh.

They all laughed for a moment then Callen asked Eric to have Kyle Norton brought back to the boatshed to ID Stringer.

"What else do we need in order finish up our portion of the evidence against him?" Callen asked. "Besides our case reports?" he added.

"We have all of the crime scene data and photos along with the ones you took. We're just waiting on the photos from the hospital," Nell answered.

They were all silent for a moment when Sam asked, "Have we heard anything more about Kensi?"

"Not lately. Hetty sent Deeks home and they aren't going to bring her out of the drug induced coma until tomorrow morning," Nell answered with a frown.

"How's Deeks?" Sam asked.

"He was better after we talked to the doctor but he was fighting Hetty about leaving the hospital."

Callen frowned, "Sam, when we finish the reports I think we need to pay Deeks a visit at the hospital."

"Hospital?" Sam questioned.

"You know he's there. He might have gone home for a bit but if I know him like I think I do, he went right back up there."

* * *

><p>Deeks awoke with a start. He was groggy and confused as he tried to register his surroundings. When he saw Kensi's battered body it all came rushing back at him full force. He gazed at her face, hoping he could detect any signs of improvement. He saw none. He looked at his watch and was surprised to see it was after 3:00. He had slept for two hours and felt a bit better. He was still exhausted but he wasn't going anywhere until he was sure she was awake and he was able to talk to her himself.<p>

Nurse Kayla came in and said, "Hello Mr. Deeks. I'm glad to see you got some sleep."

"Hi. It's Marty.

"I'm sorry?"

"My name is Marty."

"Okay Marty. Can I get you anything?"

"No thanks. I'm good," he said as he watched Kensi's breathing to make sure it was even.

"Is Ms. Blye your girlfriend?"

"She's my partner. Her first name is Kensi."

"So you're police officers?"

"Something like that."

"Well Kensi is a very lucky lady to have such a dedicated partner."

He didn't answer as Nurse Kayla checked her monitors and the bandages on her feet.

"How is she doing?" he asked her.

"We'll know more when we wake her up in the morning but she is doing well considering what she went through. We've been giving her antibiotics through her IV to ward off any possible infections. Her temperature is almost normal so that's a good sign. The hard part will be when she's conscious and has to deal with the pain but it's also important that she be awake so we can assess her injuries better."

Deeks was starting to feel guilty about wanting her to be awake. He knew the pain was going to be unbearable.

"Thanks for the information. And thank you for allowing me to stay in here."

"No problem. I'll be back to check on her in a little while. Why don't you try to get some more sleep? That chair reclines if you want to lie down."

"Thanks, but I think I'll stay right here."

She smiled at him as she walked out of the room. They may be partners but she was quite certain they were more than that.

* * *

><p>The big screen in ops was mercifully blank. Eric was sitting up straight with his fists tightly clenched. Nell sat at her keyboard with tears streaming down her face. They had just received the pictures of Kensi's injuries from the hospital. The medical file was also attached but neither was willing to open it at the moment. Eric was snapped out of his anger induced thoughts by the sound of Nell sniffling. He looked over and saw the tears and instinctively leaned over and pulled her closer to him. She leaned her head on his shoulder and cried harder.<p>

When the doors to Ops opened neither of them made an attempt to move. Hetty, Sam and Callen entered and were surprised at the behavior of their tech and analyst.

Callen asked frowning, "What's wrong?"

Nell sat up and tried to wipe her eyes but she couldn't stop the flow.

Eric had a look of apprehension on his face. He reached over and hit a button on his keyboard. Nell looked away as he looked down at the floor.

The screen was filled with images of Kensi in her current abused state. There were close up pictures of the massive bruises on her torso, back and legs. The ones of her feet and face were the most difficult to digest.

Sam and Callen had seen some of it already but were still shocked by the pictures.

Hetty put her hand to her mouth and stifled a groan.

Sam said, "Turn it off."

Eric quickly obeyed. "We have everything we need. Multiple copies of everything, especially these," he said as he pointed toward the monitor. We will need to include Kensi's and Deeks reports but we can send them later. There is a note attached explaining why they aren't included at the moment."

Hetty took a moment to gather her thoughts. "Kensi would not want us feeling sorry for her, so put those pictures out of your mind and make sure you never mention them to her. When she wakes up, if you choose to go and visit her, keep things light and please do not discuss this case. She needs to do her report before anyone discusses it with her. I'll make sure Mr. Deeks has been informed."

"Hetty, Sam and I are going to stop by his place later. We'll let him know," Callen offered.

"Thank you Mr. Callen. I'm about to call the director of the FBI and drop our little bombshell on him. Once that monster is out of our boatshed, you all are to go home and get some rest. I will see you back here by 9:00 a.m. … day after tomorrow."

Hetty went to her office and called the director of the FBI and he was none too happy when she outlined their case.

"I assure you Director, we have everything completely documented. You will have access to everything we have. A list of charges to be filed is attached to the front of the folder. I would appreciate it if you would come get this that 'thing' out of our boatshed in the next twenty minutes.

There was a pause as she listened to the Director.

"I understand. Very well. We will be waiting," she said brusquely as she hung up.

"He is sending someone from the downtown office right away. Tomorrow he will be transferred to their DC office for formal indictments."

* * *

><p>The entire team minus Kensi and Deeks was present in the boatshed and watched as the FBI handcuffed and hauled Stringer out to their waiting van. He didn't say a word and looked at the floor as he was led away. It was probably a good thing he couldn't see the looks on their faces. They all wanted to tie him up and beat him the way he had beaten Kensi. Hetty handed a thick envelope to the agent in charge and thanked him for getting there so quickly.<p>

* * *

><p>Deeks had managed to fall asleep again. When he woke up this time, he was immediately aware of where he was and that he was still holding Kensi's hand. He reached over, stroked her hair and began talking to her again.<p>

"Hey Princess. I hope you are having sweet dreams in there. Nurse Kayla has been taking really good care of you. The doctor will stop by in a little while to check on you too. The hospital cafeteria isn't too bad here. When you wake up tomorrow, I'll make sure you get all the Jell-O you want. Whatever you want, I'll get it for you. Just ask okay? I know you must be missing your donuts."

He stretched out his aching back. This wasn't the best position to sleep in but he was not going to let go of her hand. He sighed loudly and said, "I can't wait to hear your voice and see your beautiful smile. I miss you so much. Tomorrow is going to be a hard day Princess. I wish I could take your place and take all of the pain away for you," he whispered softly. He gently kissed the top of her head then laid his head back down on the side of the bed and was asleep again in minutes.

* * *

><p>Sam and Callen entered the room and found Deeks right where they thought he would be. They hadn't even bothered checking his apartment. They exchanged knowing looks and walked into the room.<p>

"Deeks," Sam said softly.

When he didn't wake up he tapped him softly on the shoulder, "Deeks."

"What?" Deeks head shot up instantly. He saw the two agents and blinked a few times. "Hey guys."

"Hey. How's she doing?" Callen asked.

"The same I guess. We won't know anything for sure until tomorrow when they wake her up," Deeks answered.

"How are you doing?" Sam asked quietly.

"I'm fine."

Sam snorted, "Yeah, right. I thought Hetty told you to go home."

"I did. Then I came back." He reached up and stroked Kensi's hair then patted her hand. "I'll be back in just a few minutes Kensi. Sam and Callen are here to see you."

He let go of her hand and noticed how empty his own hand felt. He motioned for them to follow him outside. "I don't know if she can hear us or not so I didn't want to talk in there. Did you get anything out of Stringer?"

They both just grinned as Callen said, "_We_ didn't get anything. Hetty got just about everything out of him." They explained what happened and promised him they would let him watch it when he was ready.

"Deeks, Hetty says we can't talk to Kensi about this until she reports her version of what happened. What that means is that someone from the FBI will be here in the morning when they wake her up and will question her," Sam explained.

"Dammit! She is going to be in unbelievable pain when she wakes up, guys. Why do they have to do it right then?

"They weren't too happy we didn't call them right away. They want to make sure we aren't making any of it up," Callen offered.

"Since she's been unconscious, they figure we haven't had a chance to influence her version of the events that took place," Sam added.

Deeks sighed and said, "Fine but they aren't going to do it without me being there. I know how those guys operate and I don't want them trying to bully her."

They nodded and watched the younger man fidget. "Have you had dinner?" Sam asked.

"No, I'm fine. I ate something earlier and I'm not really hungry. Why don't you guys go in and talk to her. I'm sure she'll appreciate it."

They said thanks and went in to see Kensi. Deeks walked up and down the corridor for a few minutes trying to stretch his legs. This was going to be his home for the next few days so he better get used to it.

Sam and Callen came out about fifteen minutes later to find Deeks pacing the hall. "You sure you're okay?" Callen asked.

"I'm good. I've just been sitting in that chair all afternoon and I'm working out the kinks."

"Okay, but if you or Kensi need anything let me know. As soon as you find out when they're going to wake her up, call us. Hetty gave us the day off tomorrow so we'll be here. We'll make sure that FBI interrogator is sufficiently intimidated."

Deeks smiled and said thanks. As they were leaving, Callen came back and whispered quietly to Deeks, "When all of this has settled, you and I need to talk."

Deeks looked directly into his eyes and said, "Yes, we do."


	14. Chapter 14

It was about 7:00 a.m. when Deeks woke up with a killer headache and a stiff neck. Nurse Kayla came in a few minutes later and started checking Kensi.

"Good morning Marty."

"Morning. Do you know what time they are going to wake her up?"

"Actually, I just started the process. I lowered the amount of the drug we have been giving her. We will do it slowly so it won't shock her system."

"How long will it take?"

"Probably about an hour or so. If everything goes as we expect, she should start to show signs of rousing in the next thirty minutes, give or take."

"Can I stay while this is happening?" he asked sounding like a small child.

"Yes, Marty. I'm sure she will want to see you as soon as she wakes up."

He let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding, "Thank you," he said softly.

He called Callen and let him know they were waking her up within the hour. He hadn't seen any strange 'agent types' lurking about but he was sure they would show up soon. He excused himself and went to the restroom. He wanted to make sure he didn't look like he had been sleeping in a chair all night when Kensi woke up. He brushed his teeth and actually combed his hair, not that it helped much. He still had dark circles under his eyes but there was nothing he could do about it.

He finished up and headed back to ICU. As he rounded the corner, he saw him. Dark suit, notebook, no smile. Yep, this was the FBI guy. He decided to make sure he knew the ground rules.

"Marty Deeks, LAPD/NCIS and who are you?" he asked holding out his hand.

The man in the suit shook his hand and answered, "Daniel Hill, FBI. You must be her partner."

"Yes, I am, Daniel. What have they told you about this case exactly?"

"Well, I'm supposed to interrogate Agent Blye as soon as she wakes up."

"Do you know why she is to be interrogated?"

"I was told she accused one of our agents of attacking her and I'm supposed to get her side of the story."

"I see. Well, maybe if I could give you a better idea of what you're about to experience, it will help you with your interview," Deeks said icily.

"You'll notice I used the word _interview_ and not _interrogation _because this will NOT be an interrogation. You may ask Agent Blye questions but you will not be twisting her words around to make it sound as if this was her fault. If she chooses not to speak to you right now, that is her choice and you will come back at a time that is more convenient for her. I can assure you we will not be discussing anything concerning this case for quite some time so there is no need to worry about her story being changed or manipulated. If I feel a question is inappropriate or out of line I will let you know and you will move on to your next question." He watched as a look of confusion appeared on the man's face.

"Can you agree to these terms?" Deeks asked in his best attorney voice.

"What's the big deal? Why all the fuss?" Hill asked frowning.

"You want to know what the big deal is?" Deeks said losing his patience. "Follow me."

Deeks walked into Kensi's room with Hill close behind. Deeks walked him up close to Kensi's bed and put a finger to his lips so he would know not to talk.

Hill was obviously shocked by what he saw. Deeks let him process what he was seeing. He pointed at her feet to make sure he didn't miss them. When Deeks decided Hill had seen enough, he motioned for him to come back out in the hallway.

Once they were outside of the room Deeks asked quietly, "Now do you see what all the fuss is about?"

"Yes sir, I'm… I'm so sorry," he said quietly.

"She has been in a drug induced coma and they are about to bring her out. She is going to be in unbelievable pain. I don't see why this can't wait for a couple of days," he said impatiently.

"It's obvious this is not a careless accusation. I was there. I saw him... she was… tied up… he was… I stopped him from raping her," Deeks stammered as he looked away.

"Mr. Deeks, please forgive me. I had no idea. I'm really very sorry. I will contact you in a couple of days and we'll try again when she is better. I promise it will be a short interview and not an interrogation."

"Thank you. I appreciate it… more than you know. Please call me Marty," he held out his hand again.

"Call me Daniel," he said as he shook his hand. "Please accept my apologies on behalf of the Bureau. I hope she recovers fully."

Deeks thanked him again and hurried back into Kensi's room. He pushed the chair back over to the corner and took his position standing beside her with her hand in his. He watched her face for any signs of movement but saw none. Nurse Kayla was in and out every few minutes to check on her progress and lower the dosage of the drug.

He was really worried. _How bad was it going to be and how long would she be without pain killers while they did their examination?_ He knew he would probably have to step out of the room when they evaluated her but he hoped she would know he was there when she woke up.

He felt a tiny movement in her hand. He watched as her eyes began to twitch and a grimace settled across her features. "Hey Kens, it's gonna be okay. I'm here Princess."

"Deeks," he heard from behind him and turned to see Callen.

"Hey, she's beginning to wake up."

"Okay, I'm gonna wait outside. Keep us posted. Sam and Hetty are here too."

"Will do," he said as he turned back to Kensi.

Dr. Parker came in and saw Deeks standing there. "Mr. Deeks, normally I would have to ask you to leave but I've received a request, or maybe I should say, _an order_, to allow you to stay."

Deeks smiled and thought to himself, _'Hetty'_.

"Thanks Doc."

"However, if I ask you to step out because of some unforeseen complication, please do so without argument. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," Deeks answered as he turned his attention back to Kensi. She was beginning to move more and more. With every movement, another grimace would cross her face. It was almost more than he could take. He wanted so badly to take the pain away from her.

This continued for another twenty minutes when finally her eyelids flickered open for an instant and closed again immediately. The light in the room was dim and Deeks continued to talk to her in soft tones.

She was floating but she couldn't really describe it as floating. She felt heavy and she couldn't focus. Her mind fought through the fog and thickness but couldn't settle on any one coherent thought. There were flashes of pain mixed with visions she couldn't quite grasp. A flash of her hands tied above her head, a man hitting her ribs, a dark, dirty room, a knife, Deeks' face. _Deeks!_ Finally she was able to focus on one thought. As she remembered the last time she saw him in his apartment, confusion again muddled her thoughts. Deeks was in the dark, dirty room. _What was he saying?_ She couldn't hear him but there were tears in his eyes. What was wrong? "Deeks… Marty…" her eyes fluttered open and she saw him. "Marty…" She tried to smile but immediately her mind began to register the pain that seemed to be everywhere at once. It was intense and her body felt like it was on fire.

"What's wrong?" she croaked out hoarsely as wave after wave of pain crashed over her.

"Kensi, I'm here. Hang in there Princess, it'll be okay in just a few minutes."

She wanted to scream but somehow knew it would make the pain worse. When she tried to move a wave of nausea came from no where so she stopped trying to move as hot tears streamed down her face.

"Kensi baby, squeeze my hand if you need to. I'm here." He gently wiped her tears and fought hard to keep his emotions in check.

Dr. Parker walked to the other side of the bed and said, "Miss Blye, I need to examine you. As soon as we're done, we will give you some pain medication and you will feel much better."

She squeezed Deeks hand but even that small movement hurt. The fog had lifted but a cloud of intense pain had taken over which seemed to be all she could focus on at the moment. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to stop the flow of tears. With each push or prod from the doctor she bit back a scream. When he rolled her on her side, she couldn't stop the loud cry that escaped her lips.

Deeks continued to talk quietly to her and wipe at her tears.

Callen looked up sharply when he heard her scream. Sam jumped up and began pacing. Hetty sat still but closed her eyes.

When the doctor finally finished the exam he smiled and said, "Miss Blye, I know it doesn't seem like it right now but I think eventually you are going to be just fine. It will take some time and you will need to follow some strict guidelines. We'll talk about all of that later but right now, we're going to give you some pain medication. I also think we can move you to a private room here in a little while. You are one very strong young woman," he said as he smiled again. "I'll check in on you this afternoon."

He said goodbye and left the room. Nurse Kayla added something to her IV and Kensi began to relax a little about a minute later.

The pain began to subside and her mind began to get clearer. "Marty, how long have I been in here?"

"Almost twenty four hours I think. I've sort of lost track of time."

She was finding it hard to move her mouth. She reached up to touch it with her right hand and her eyes grew wide. She felt all puffy and swollen. She looked at her arm in horror as she saw the huge black and purple welts. Realization hit her hard as she looked at the rest of her body. A new stream of tears began as the memories of what happened crashed down upon her consciousness.

"Shhh, its okay baby. You're gonna be fine. Don't cry Princess." He stroked her hair gently and kissed her forehead carefully.

"I'm a mess" she cried softly. "It's my fault… I wasn't paying attention and he hit me… I'm so sorry."

"Kensi, please don't. This is NOT your fault and you have absolutely nothing to be sorry for. I'm... I'm sorry I couldn't find you before… before he did this."

"Marty, you did find me. You always find me. Don't be sorry… please." She looked up into his beautiful eyes. "Those eyes and my memories of our... of us is what kept me alive. I wanted to see those amazing blue eyes again and tell you how much I love you."

He smiled and squeezed her hand lightly. "I love you too. I am _in love_ with you Kensi and the past twenty four hours have made me realize just how much. I can't imagine being without you." He kissed her lips as softly as possible. As he pulled back their eyes locked as they gazed lovingly at each other. "You know Princess, you are going to have to get well soon so we can get back to our _extracurricular activities_," he said with a mischievous grin.

She smiled back at him and felt herself begin to drift off. "I'll be well in record time… I'm looking forward to…to those… activities."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN Probably just one more chapter to this one. I'm thinking about a sequel. Let me know what you think.**_


	15. Chapter 15

_**A/N Ok, I lied. One more chapter after this. I needed to do justice to the big conversation between Deeks and Callen. Thanks for all the reviews and encouragement!**_

* * *

><p>They had moved Kensi to a private room which had a much more comfortable chair and they had settled into a routine of sorts. Hetty had insisted that he spend time at home in his own bed or she would have him barred from seeing her. He didn't really think she would actually follow through with her threat but he wasn't going to take the chance. He would go to work in the morning, visit Kensi at lunch, work in the afternoon and then go back to the hospital as soon as he could sneak out. He would stay until well past visiting hours and sometimes fall asleep in the chair-bed. He had moved it next to hers and was able to recline it just right so he could watch her and hold her hand as he drifted off. Most of the night nurses thought it was adorable and didn't have the heart to make him leave.<p>

He usually woke up in the early hours of the morning during one of the many nightly visits from the nursing staff. He would kiss Kensi goodnight and reluctantly head home to his apartment. He was technically bending Hetty's edict but at least he could say he went home. He would get a few hours of sleep then get up early and go back to the hospital. He often smuggled one of Kensi's favorite donuts in to her while the nurses were busy elsewhere.

Kensi had been in the hospital for almost a week and was going stir crazy. They probably would have sent her home already but she'd had a setback the day after they had brought her out of the coma. Her temperature had spiked significantly from an infection. They had treated the problem and were watching her very closely.

She'd had lots of visitors from the office and Nell came by almost every evening. She even brought Eric with her a couple of times. Deeks had finally convinced her to let her Mom know where she was. They hadn't told her the whole story but it was enough that you could call it the truth. She had come by several times in the afternoons to visit with her. Sam and Callen came by at least once a day and Hetty came by at all kinds of odd hours.

Deeks was pacing the room trying not to be so nervous this morning. Daniel Hill from the FBI was coming back to talk to her and he was worried about her mindset at the moment. Each day she was here, she got more and more cranky. He tried teasing her, he tried telling her about Sam's and Callen's argument of the day, he even tried silence, as hard as that was for him to accomplish. None of it seemed to work. She continued to lash out at the nurses and especially at him. He had avoided the topic of her abduction. He knew she wasn't ready and was worried that she wouldn't cooperate with the FBI when the time came. She really needed to talk to someone about it at some point. She didn't need to keep something else bottled up tight. He knew what doing that had done to her in the past.

Kensi was mad at herself. She wanted out of here and couldn't seem to stop taking it out on other people. Especially Deeks. He didn't deserve it. He had been there for her and did anything and everything she asked without complaining. She wanted to apologize and make it up to him but right now, she just wasn't in the right frame of mind. It would come across as fake and he would see right through it. Her mind wandered as she looked at her bruises again. They were turning green and yellow mostly but there were several that were still very dark.

The doctor had been pleased with her progress but still wasn't ready to send her home. Her main problem at this point had been her feet. She was not allowed to put any pressure on them yet. The cuts had to heal some more before she could try to walk on them. He trips to get x-rays or other tests had been taken in the bed mostly. They would roll her down the hall to the elevator then off to wherever they needed her. The last couple of times, they had actually put her in a wheel chair. It was difficult because of the bruising but it was better than just laying around all day. She had to be lifted out of the bed by an orderly and put in the chair. If Deeks was there, he wouldn't allow anyone else to pick her up. He tried to make sure he wasn't mashing on any of her bruises.

She couldn't understand why she was being so mean to him. Her mornings were spent with physical therapy to keep her arms and legs from getting stiff. It was painful but was getting easier every day. The afternoons were spent watching TV, sleeping or talking with visitors. Truth be told, she was probably depressed. The hardest part of her day was when he went home at night and left her alone. She would cry herself to sleep. She had to get control of whatever it was that was causing her to act like this.

"Hey Babe. You want me to hijack some more Jell-o for your lunch today?" he asked tentatively.

"No thanks," she answered softly. "Deeks, I'm sorry for being so bitchy."

"You haven't been bitchy. Crabby, grumpy and cranky maybe but not bitchy," he smirked.

"Yes, I have. All of the nurses come in and take turns glaring at me after you leave for work. They feel sorry for you for having to put up with me." She tried hard to control them but the tears started to flow anyway. It had been happening more and more often lately.

"Kens, don't cry," he pleaded. "I totally get it. You're bored, you feel trapped and you want out of here. You aren't wired to just sit around and do nothing. I know how you feel. At least I was able to get up and walk around when I was in here and you can't even do that yet."

He brushed her hair back out of her face and reached to tip her head up to look into her eyes. "It's okay Princess," he said as he leaned to kiss her forehead. "You know me. If I thought you were being bitchy, I would definitely let you know about it," he said as he flashed his crooked grin.

Before she could think of a good comeback, Dr. Parker walked in.

"Good morning Kensi, how are you feeling today?"

"Great. Can I go home?" she said flatly.

"If I thought you truly felt great I might let you go home but I'm not convinced," he answered carefully. "Two things are going to happen today and if you do well with both of them then you may get to go home in a couple of days."

Kensi couldn't help but feel hope and dread at the same time.

"First, we are going to get you up and see how you do on those feet. We'll give you some crutches because I don't want you to put all of your weight on them. We don't want you to reopen the cuts."

"Secondly, there will be someone here this afternoon to visit with you about your abduction. I know you probably don't want to talk about it but it is a condition for your release so please just cooperate."

"If it will get me out of here, I'll do it. Thanks Dr. Parker."

He smiled and patted her arm lightly. "I'll check on you a little later," he said as he left the room.

"Hey, that's sounds promising," Deeks said hopefully.

"Yeah, it does," she said smiling brightly.

They heard knocking on the door and Deeks went quickly to answer it.

"Hey Marty," Daniel Hill said offering his hand.

"Hi Daniel, come on in," he said shaking his hand. "Kensi just got some good news from the Doc and we are hoping to go home in a couple of days."

"Kensi this is Daniel Hill, FBI and he just wants to ask you a few questions."

"Hello."

"Hello Ms. Blye. I won't take up much of your time. I just need to fill in some blanks on my report so we can proceed with the case against Hollis Stringer."

Kensi felt a knot tighten in her stomach. She hadn't spoken to anyone about what had happened to her and no one had asked. She understood why. This interview had to come first. She could see the sadness in Deeks' eyes sometimes when he looked at her bruises and cuts. She could tell he wanted to talk about it but thankfully had not asked any questions... yet. She knew he would start asking them soon.

She reached out to Deeks and gripped his hand tightly. He stood close to the bed and laid his arm on the pillow above her head as if he was trying to protect her.

Daniel pulled out his notebook and a small digital recorder. He sighed as he turned it on.

"At what point during your abduction did you see your attacker?"

"When I woke up in that filthy room and found myself tied to the bedframe."

Daniel swallowed hard before asking the next question. "What happened prior to him beating you?"

"Which time?" she asked calmly.

Both men looked down at the floor and shuffled their feet.

"There were five or six beating sessions. He did all the talking. He wanted me to beg him to stop. I never did. You would think it would have made him hit harder but most of the time, he would get mad and leave the room. The last time when he starting cutting my clothes off, he taped my mouth shut. He told me that I didn't get to decide if he stopped or not."

Deeks looked and Daniel as if to say, _'I told you he was a sick bastard!'_

"Something he said just before I passed out made me realize he was going to kill me." She had been telling the story as if she was talking about someone else but now her voice cracked and she was having trouble continuing.

"He said… my… Deeks would find my body later… that afternoon and he would know… what we did. He asked if I thought… Deeks would be mad… or if he would even care."

Deeks face was red with anger but he gently stroked her hair and brushed the back of his hand across her cheek.

"One last question and I'll be on my way. Mr. Stringer has accused Mr. Deeks, Mr. Callen and Mr. Hannah of brutality against him after he was apprehended. Did you witness any such thing?"

"Mr. Hill, the only brutality I witnessed was against me by Stringer. The last thing I remember was him standing over me with a knife after he had removed most of my clothing."

Daniel stood silently for a moment and seemed to try to shake the images from his mind.

"Ms. Blye, thank you for your time and please accept my sincerest apologies for what Stringer put you through. I will do everything in my power to make sure he gets what he deserves. You take care and get better soon."

"Thank you Mr. Hill."

"I'll be right back," Deeks promised as he followed the agent out the door.

"Thank you Daniel. I appreciate the way you handled that. You're good people. I'm not too fond of FBI agents but in your case, I'll make an exception. Let me know if I can ever help you with anything," he said smiling.

"Marty. You've got a tough, amazing partner in there. I doubt if either of us could have survived something like that."

"You've got that right."

"You take care of her. She's special… but you already know that."

He smiled and said, "Yes I do."

The shook hands again and Deeks hurried back into the room.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN Coming up next - The Conversation! **_


	16. Chapter 16

Callen looked up as Deeks entered the bullpen. He was late to work but he had called earlier and told him about Kensi's interview with Hill. Callen had told him to stay with her and come in when he could. He had been pleased with the way Deeks had handled Hill on that first morning. If he was honest with himself, he would say he was proud of how the younger man had handled most of this. Of course there was the one little hiccup when they thought he was going to shoot Stringer in the head, but hell, they all wished they could do it. He just happened to get closer to actually going through with it than anyone else had.

He thought about what he had to do. He had put this off long enough. They needed to talk and now was as good a time as any.

"Hey Deeks, how did it go?"

"It was fine. Hill did a good job and didn't push her at all." Deeks frowned as he put his go bag on his desk.

"I hear a 'but' coming I think."

"It's just really hard to hear what he did to her in her own words. I assumed he had beaten her up just before I got there, he said quietly."

"He didn't?"

"No. He did it over several different sessions and…" his voice trailed off.

Callen closed his eyes, understanding. "You think Hill was convinced?"

"Hill was convinced when he saw her last week."

Sam shook his head and looked at the floor.

"Oh by the way, she'll probably get to go home in a couple of days."

"That's great! Sam said happily.

"I need to tell Hetty, be right back guys."

After Deeks was out of earshot, Callen said quietly, "Time to have _'the talk'_ with him Sam."

"G. if he doesn't know how it works by now, there's no hope for him."

Callen rolled his eyes and grabbed his jacket from his chair.

"Take it easy on him G. If they are truly together, this can't be easy for him. And from what we've seen in the last week, I don't think she could ever find anyone more devoted to her than him. They're good together."

"I just need to hear the magic words from him Sam."

"Which are?"

Callen wasn't able to answer because Deeks returned to the bullpen. "Don't get comfy. Come with me."

Sam gave Callen a 'look' as they left.

Deeks knew what was coming and he dreaded it. He had hoped it would be after Kensi returned to work but that was wishful thinking. "Where are we going," he asked.

"I thought we would grab some coffee and go for a drive."

"You're not going to dump me off a bridge are you?"

"Depends," he said grinning.

"On?"

"My mood when we cross the bridge."

"Wow. I'm _really_ looking forward to this."

They drove to the coffee shop down the street then headed for the coastal highway. They spoke very little. Both men were gathering their ammunition for the conversation that was inevitable.

Callen finally broke the silence. "So, I'm guessing there is no one named _'Crystal'_?"

"Actually there is, but I'm not dating her."

"Deeks, do you see the problem here?"

"What problem are you referring to?"

Callen sighed and pulled over at the next scenic turnout. Neither man was interested in the stunning view.

"Uh oh, does this mean you're in a bad mood?"

"Deeks, come on."

"All right, all right. I'm sorry. What do you want to know?"

"For starters, I want to know if you're sleeping with Kensi."

Deeks hesitated briefly and decided to be honest. "Yes."

"For how long?"

"You want to know if we can have a relationship, maintain our partnership while keeping our current team dynamic, right?"

"Yes."

"What if I told you we had been sleeping together for over a year, would that make a difference?"

"Possibly, but I doubt it. I think we would have figured it out long before now."

"What made you 'figure it out' now?"

"Actually we were just suspicious for a while. Then you came up with the _'Crystal and Jason'_ thing and I thought maybe we were wrong. Then we went to your apartment after Kensi was abducted and saw all the candles… and Kensi's jacket… among other things."

Deeks sighed heavily. "Callen I'm in love with her and have been for a long time. We just recently took our relationship to the next level. I don't see how it makes a difference. We've been dancing around our feelings for almost two years so it's not like this is something new.

"I'm worried about how it will affect the team."

"What exactly do you think could happen? That I might choose her over a suspect? How many times have you had to make that decision Callen? Once? Twice? A dozen times? Since Sam is still here I can only guess that you chose him. I'm not going to promise that I won't choose her. She's my partner and my job is to have her back no matter what. That's been my job since I came here and I'm not going to stop now."

A brief smile flickered across Callen's face but he still had more questions to ask.

"What happens when Hetty or Granger finds out?"

Deeks was quiet for a moment but surprised Callen by saying, "I think Hetty already knows."

"Why do you think that?"

"Hetty knows everything."

He couldn't argue with that observation. "I just see complications everywhere and I just don't think you've thought this through."

"I've thought about nothing else now for months. I've weighed the pros and cons a million times and I keep coming down to one very simple conclusion."

"Which is?"

"I can't live without her. A fact that has become even more apparent in light of the events of this past week. This isn't some passing fancy Callen. I'm not going to break her heart and move on to someone else. There is no one else for me."

Callen looked at Deeks as a slow grin crossed his face. He held out his hand and offered it to Deeks. He took it and shook it firmly. "I knew she was out for the count when she saw you in that gym."

"Really?"

Callen put the car in gear and eased back onto the highway. "Yes, really. Honestly, I'm surprised you held out this long."

Deeks smiled and said, "You have no idea."

Callen grinned widely.

Deeks frowned slightly and said, "I would really appreciate it if you would talk to Kensi about this. She is worried you're going to break up our partnership and send me packing. She needs to concentrate on getting better and not worry about this."

"I will definitely take care of that this afternoon." There was a short period of silence as he contemplated bringing up his next point.

"There are a couple of things I need you to agree to do, however."

"Like what?" Deeks asked warily.

"You need to officially tell Hetty. She will decide how best to handle Granger."

"And?"

"Keep it out of the workplace."

"Callen, give us some credit for having some self-control."

He held up his hand to keep him from saying more, "No more making out on the couch in the bullpen."

"What? We haven't made out on the couch!"

"I seem to recall interrupting something last week?"

"Oh, that! I'll plead the fifth on that one."

Callen looked over at him with raised eyebrows.

"Okay, I promise you will never catch us making out at work."

"Fair enough, Callen replied."

Deeks smiled mischievously. He didn't promise they wouldn't make out at work. He just promised they wouldn't get caught.

"So, no bridges for me today?" Deeks asked grinning.

"No, not today but I'm not making any promises. Please don't make me regret this decision Deeks," he added seriously.

Deeks replied in a tone that left no room for doubt, "Callen, I would never do anything to hurt her or cause you to question us. If anything, I think this makes us stronger. There are no more doubts and no wondering if imaginary lines have been crossed. We're happy, or at least we will be when she's here and back to her old self."

"Let's hope she gets back there soon. She's been really bitchy the last couple of days," Callen observed.

"Oh, God please don't tell her that!" he said rolling his eyes.

"Seriously, I don't blame her after all she's been through."

"I don't think we have a clue what all he did to her physically and especially emotionally. She said some things this morning that led me to believe he was trying to break her mentally while he was physically abusing her. I'm afraid to ask if he did 'other things' to her as well," he said quietly.

Callen knew what he meant by 'other things' and attempted to calm his fears. "We have a copy of her medical records although none of us looked at them, except Hetty of course. I really don't think he abused her in that way, though."

"If I looked at that file she would never forgive me. I'll just have to wait until she tells me herself what happened in that shack. I just know what I saw when I busted down the door."

"Give her time, Deeks. She'll be back to her old self soon enough."

Deeks smiled and looked at his watch. "Hey, it's almost lunch time. Want to grab a bite at the hospital cafeteria? Food's pretty good there."

Callen looked at the smiling detective and shook his head, grinning. Anyone who would suggest lunch at a hospital so he could go see his girlfriend must have it bad. Bad was good in his opinion. Sam was right as usual. They both had always been very protective of Kensi and treated her like a little sister but he had to agree with Sam on this one. Kensi couldn't have found anyone who was more devoted or more totally in love with her than Deeks.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN Thanks so much for the encouragement. Sadly this is the end of this one but it is to be continued soon in "The Promise"**_


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